forEngland 


(Onifi?  ©If 

Mrs.  Mildred  Clemens  Lewis 


Attempted  Assassination  op  Sir  Waltee, 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND 


A  TALE  OF  CRESSY  AND  POITIERS. 


By  G.  a.  HENTY, 

Author  of  "With  Glive  in  India"  ''Under  Drake's  Flag"  ''The 
Young  Carthaginian"  ''Bonnie  Prince  ijharlie"  etc.,  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED; 


A.  L.  BUET  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS, 
52-58  DuANE  Street,  New  York. 


PEEFACE. 


My  Dear  Lads: 

You  may  be  told  perhaps  that  there  is  no  good 
to  be  obtained  from  tales  of  fighting  and  bloodshed 
• — that  there  is  no  moral  to  be  drawn  from 
such  histories.  Believe  it  not.  War  has  its  les- 
sons as  well  as  Peace.  You  will  learn  from  tales 
like  this  that  determination  and  enthusiasm  can 
accomplish  marvels,  that  true  courage  is  generally 
accompanied  by  magnanimity  and  gentleness,  and 
that  if  not  in  itself  the  very  highest  of  virtues,  it  is 
the  parent  of  almost  all  the  others,  since  but  few  of 
them  can  be  practiced  without  it.  The  courage  of 
our  forefathers  has  created  the  greatest  empire  in 
the  world  around  a  small  and  in  itself  insignificant 
island ;  if  this  empire  is  ever  lost,  it  will  be  by  the 
cowardice  of  their  descendants. 

At  no  period  of  her  history  did  England  stand  so 
high  in  the  eyes  of  Europe  as  in  the  time  whose 
events  are  recorded  in  this  volume.  A  chivalrous 
king  and  an  even  more  chivalrous  prince  had  in- 
fected the  whole  people  with  their  martial  spirit, 
and  the  result  was  that  their  armies  were  for  a  time 
invincible,  and  the  most  astonishing  successes  were 

M679302 


iy  PREFACE. 

gained  against  numbers  which  would  appear  over- 
whelming. The  victories  of  Cressy  and  Poitiers 
may  be  to  some  extent  accounted  for  by  superior 
generalship  and  discipline  on  the  part  of  the  con- 
querors; but  this  will  not  account  for  the  great 
naval  victory  over  the  Spanish  fleet  off  the  coast  of 
Sussex,  a  victory  even  more  surprising  and  won 
against  greater  odds  than  was  that  gained  in  the 
same  waters  centuries  later  over  the  Spanish 
Armada.  The  historical  facts  of  the  story  are  all 
drawn  from  Froissart  and  other  contemporary  his- 
torians, as  collated  and  compared  by  Mr.  James 
in  his  carefully  written  history.  They  may  there- 
fore be  relied  upon  as  accurate  in  every  important 
particular. 

Yours  sincerely, 

G.  A.  HENTY. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  I. 
A  Wayfarer 1 

CHAPTER  II. 
The  Hut  in  the  Marshes 18 

CHAPTER  III. 
A  Thwarted  Plot 36 

CHAPTER  IV. 
A  Knight's  Chain 54 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  City  Games 72 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Melee 89 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Young  Esquire 107 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Off  to  the  Wars 126 

CHAPTER  IX. 
The  Sieere  of  Hennebon 145 


CHAPTER  X. 
A  Place  of  Refuge 164 


y{  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XI. 
A  Stormy  Interview ISO 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Jacob  van  Artevelde , 196 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  White  Ford 214 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Cressy 232 

CHAPTER  XV. 
The  Sieffe  of  a  Fortalice 250 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
A  Prisoner 267 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Capture  of  Calais 285 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
The  Black  Death , 303 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
By  Land  and  Sea « 319 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Poitiers 336 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
The  Jacquerie 353 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
Victory  and  Death 372 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTER  I. 


A  WAYFARER. 


It  was  a  bitterly  cold  night  in  the  month  of  No- 
vember, 1330.  The  rain  was  pouring  heavily,  when 
a  woman,  with  a  child  in  her  arms,  entered  the  little 
village  of  Southwark.  She  had  evidently  come 
from  a  distance,  for  her  dress  was  travel-stained 
and  muddy.  She  tottered  rather  than  walked,  and 
when,  upon  her  arrival  at  the  gateway  on  the 
southern  side  of  London  Bridge,  she  found  that  the 
hour  was  past  and  the  gates  closed  for  the  night, 
she  leaned  against  the  wall  with  a  faint  groan  of 
exhaustion  and  disappointment. 

After  remaining,  as  if  in  doubt,  for  some  time, 
she  feebly  made  her  way  into  the  village.  Here 
were  many  houses  of  entertainment,  for  travelers 
like  herself  often  arrived  too  late  to  enter  the  gates, 
and  had  to  abide  outside  for  the  night.  Moreover, 
house  .rent  was  dear  within  the  walls  of  the  crowd- 
ed city,  and  many,  whose  business  brought  them  to 
town,  found  it  cheaper  to  take  up  their  abode  in 
the  quiet  hostels  of  Southwark  rather  than  to  stay 


2  8T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

in  the  more  expensive  inns  within  the  walls.  The 
lights  came  out  brightly  from  many  of  the  case- 
ments, with  sounds  of  boisterous  songs  and  laugh- 
ter. The  woman  passed  these  without  a  pause. 
Presently  she  stopped  before  a  cottage,  from  which 
a  feeble  light  alone  showed  that  it  was  tenanted. 

She  knocked  at  the  door.  It  was  opened  by  a 
pleasant-faced  man  of  some  thirty  years  old. 

"  What  is  it  ?"  he  asked. 

"I  am  a  wayfarer,"  the  woman  answered  feebly. 
"  Canst  take  me  and  my  child  in  for  the  night  ?" 

"  You  have  made  a  mistake,"  the  man  said  ;  "  this 
is  no  inn.  Further  up  the  road  there  are  plenty  of 
places  where  you  can  find  such  accommodation  as 
you  lack." 

"  I  have  passed  them,"  the  woman  said,  "  but  all 
seemed  full  of  roisterers.  I  am  wet  and  weary,  and 
my  strength  is  nigh  spent.  1  can  pay  thee,  good 
fellow,  and  I  pray  you  as  a  Christian  to  let  me  come 
in  and  sleep  before  your  tire  for  the  night.  When 
the  gates  are  open  in  the  morning  I  will  go;  for  I 
have  a  friend  within  the  city  who  will,  methinks, 
receive  me." 

The  tone  of  voice,  and  the  addressing  of  himself 
as  good  fellow,  at  once  convinced  the  man  that  the 
woman  before  him  was  no  common  wayfarer. 

"  Come  in,"  he  said  ;  "  Geoffrey  Ward  is  not  a 
man  to  shut  his  doors  in  a  woman's  face  on  a  night 
like  til  is,  nor  does  he  need  payment  for  such  small 
hospitality.  Come  hither,  Madge!"  he  shouted; 
and   at   his   voice   a  woman   came  down  from  the 


ST.  GEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND,  ^ 

upper  chamber.  "  Sister,"  he  said,  "  this  is  a  way- 
farer who  needs  shelter  for  the  night ;  she  is  wet 
and  weary.  Do  you  take  her  up  to  your  room  and 
lend  her  some  dry  clothing ;  then  make  her  a  cup 
of  warm  posset,  which  she  needs  sorely.  I  will 
fetch  an  armful  of  fresh  rushes  from  the  shed  and 
strew  them  here.  I  will  sleep  in  the  smithy. 
Quick,  girl,"  he  said  sharply  ;  "  she  is  fainting  with 
cold  and  fatigue."  And  as  he  spoke  he  caught  the 
woman  as  she  was  about  to  fall,  and  laid  her  gently 
on  the  ground.  "  She  is  of  better  station  than  she 
seems,"  he  said  to  his  sister  ;  "•  like  enough  some 
poor  lady  whose  husband  has  taken  part  in  the 
troubles ;  but  that  is  no  business  of  ours.  Quick, 
Madge,  and  get  these  wet  things  off  her ;  she  is 
soaked  to  the  skin.  I  will  go  round  to  the  Green 
Dragon  and  will  fetch  a  cup  of  warm  cordial,  which 
I  warrant  me  will  put  fresh  life  into  her." 

So  saying,  he  took  down  his  flat  cap  from  its  peg 
on  the  wall  and  went  out,  while  his  sister  at  once 
proceeded  to  remove  the  drenched  garments  and  to 
rub  the  cold  hands  of  the  guest  until  she  recovered 
consciousness.  When  Geoffrey  Ward  returned,  the 
woman  was  sitting  in  a  settle  by  the  fireside, 
dressed  in  a  warm  woolen  garment  belonging  to  his 
sister.  Madge  had  thrown  fresh  wood  on  the  fire, 
which  was  blazing  brightly  now.  The  woman  drank 
the  steaming  beverage  which  her  host  brought  with 
him.  The  color  came  faintly  again  into  her 
cheeks. 

"  I  thank  you,  indeed,"  she  said,  "  for  your  kind- 


4  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

ness.  Had  you  not  taken  me  in  I  think  I  should 
have  died  at  your  door,  for  indeed  I  could  go  no 
further  ;  and  though  I  hold  not  to  life,  yet  would  I 
fain  live  until  I  have  delivered  my  boy  into  the 
hands  of  those  who  will  be  kind  to  him,  and  this 
will,  1  trust,  be  to-morrow." 

"  Say  naught  about  it,"  Geoifrey  answered. 
"  Madge  and  1  are  right  glad  to  have  been  of  service 
to  you.  It  would  be  a  poor  world  indeed  if  one 
could  not  give  a  corner  of  one's  fireside  to  a  fellow- 
creature  on  such  a  night  as  this,  especially  when 
that  fellow-creature  is  a  woman  with  a  child.  Poor 
little  chap !  he  looks  right  well  and  sturdy,  and 
seems  to  have  taken  no  ill  from  his  journey." 

"  Truly,  he  is  well  and  sturdy,"  the  mother  said, 
looking  at  him  proudly  ;  "  indeed.  I  have  been  al- 
most wishing  to-day  that  he  were  lighter  by  a  few 
pounds,  for  in  truth  I  am  not  used  to  carry  him  far, 
and  his  weight  has  sorely  tried  me.  His  name  is 
Walter,  and  I  trust,"  she  added,  looking  at  the 
powerful  figure  of  her  host,  "  that  he  will  grow  up 
as  straight  and  as  stalwart  as  yourself."  The  child, 
who  was  about  three  years  old,  was  indeed  an  ex- 
ceedingly fine  little  fellow,  as  he  sat,  in  one  scanty 
garment,  in  his  mother's  lap,  gazing  with  round 
eyes  at  the  blazing  fire  ;  and  the  smith  thought  how 
pretty  a  picture  the  child  and  mother  made.  She 
was  a  fair,  gentle-looking  girl  some  twenty-two 
years  old,  and  it  was  easy  enough  to  see  now  from 
her  delicate  features  and  soft,  shapely  hands  that 
she  had  never  been  accustomed  to  toil. 


ST.  GEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND.  5 

"  And  now,"  the  smith  said,  "  I  will  e'en  say  good- 
night. The  hour  is  late,  and  I  shall  be  having  the 
watch  coming  along  to  know  why  I  keep  a  fire  so 
long  after  the  curfew.  Should  you  be  a  stranger  in 
the  city,  I  will  gladly  act  as  your  guide  in  the 
morning  to  the  friends  whom  you  seek,  that  is, 
should  they  be  known  to  me ;  but  if  not,  we  shall 
doubtless  find  them  without  difficulty." 

So  saying,  the  smith  retired  to  his  bed  of  rushes 
in  the  smithy,  and  soon  afterward  the  tired  visitor, 
with  her  baby,  lay  down  on  the  rushes  in  front  of 
the  fire,  for  in  those  days  none  of  the  working  or 
artisan  class  used  beds,  which  were  not  indeed,  for 
centuries  afterward,  in  usage  by  the  common 
people. 

In  the  morning  Geoffrey  Ward  found  that  his 
guest  desired  to  find  one  Giles  Fletcher,  a  maker  of 
bows. 

"I  know  him  well,"  the  smith, said.  "  There  are 
many  who  do  a  larger  business,'  and  hold  their 
heads  higher,  but  Giles  Fletcher  is  well  esteemed 
as  a  good  workman,  whose  wares  can  be  depended 
upon.  It  is  often  said  of  him  that  did  he  take  less 
pains  he  would  thrive  more ;  but  he  handles  each 
bow  that  he  makes  as  if  he  loved  it,  and  finishes 
and  polishes  each  with  his  own  hand.  Therefore 
he  doeth  not  so  much  trade  as  those  who  are  less 
particular  with  their  wares,  for  he  hath  to  charge 
a  high  price  to  be  able  to  live.  But  none  who  have 
ever  bought  his  bows  have  regretted  the  silver 
which  they  cost.     Many  and  many  a  gross  of  arrow- 


6  ST.  QEORQB  FOR  ENGLAND, 

heads  have  I  sold  hira,  and  he  is  well-nigh  as  par- 
ticular in  their  make  as  he  is  over  the  spring  and 
temper  of  his  own  bows.  Many  a  friendly  wrangle 
have  I  had  with  him  over  their  weight  and  finish, 
and  it  is  not  many  who  find  fault  with  my  handi- 
TM  ork,  though  I  say  it  myself ;  and  now,  madam,  I 
am  at  your  service." 

During  the  night  the  wayfarer's  clothes  had  been 
dried.  The  cloak  was  of  rough  quality,  such  as 
might  have  been  used  by  a  peasant  woman  ;  but 
the  rest,  though  of  somber  color,  were  of  good  ma- 
terial and  fashion.  Seeing  that  her  kind  enter- 
tainers would  be  hurt  by  the  offer  of  money,  the 
lady  contented  herself  with  thanking  Madge  warmly, 
and  saying  that  she  hoped  to  come  across  the  bridge 
one  day  with  Dame  Fletcher ;  then,  under  the 
guidance  of  Geoffrey,  who  insisted  on  carrying  the 
boy,  she  set  out  from  the  smith's  cottage.  They 
passed  under  the  outer  gate  and  across  the  bridge, 
which  later  on  was  covered  with  a  double  line  of 
houses  and  shops,  but  was  now  a  narrow  structure. 
Over  the  gateway  across  the  river,  upon  pikes,  were 
a  number  of  heads  and  human  limbs.  The  lady 
shuddered  as  she  looked  up. 

"  It  is  an  ugly  sight,"  the  smith  said,  "  and  I  can 
see  no  warrant  for  such  exposure  of  the  dead. 
There  are  the  heads  of  Wallace,  of  three  of  Robert 
Bruce's  brothers,  and  of  many  other  valiant  Scots- 
men who  fought  against  the  king's  grandfather 
some  twenty  years  back.  But  after  all  they  fought 
for  their  country,  just  as  Harold  and  our  ancestors 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  7 

against  the  N^ormans  under  William,  and  I  think  it 
a  foul  shame  that  men  who  have  done  no  other 
harm  should  be  beheaded,  still  less  that  their  heads 
and  limbs  should  be  stuck  up  there  gibbering  at  all 
passers-by.  There  are  over  a  score  of  them,  and 
every  fresh  trouble  adds  to  their  number ;  but  par- 
don me,"  he  said  suddenly  as  a  sob  from  the  figure 
by  his  side  called  his  attention  from  the  heads  on 
the  top  of  the  gateway,  "  I  am  rough  and  heedless 
in  speech,  as  my  sister  Madge  does  often  tell  me, 
and  it  may  Tvell  be  that  I  have  said  something 
which  wounded  you." 

"You  meant  no  ill,"  the  lady  replied;  "it  was 
my  own  thoughts  and  troubles  which  drew  tears 
from  me ;  say  not  more  about  it,  I  pray  you." 

They  passed  under  the  gateway,  with  its  ghastly 
burden,  and  were  soon  in  the  crowded  streets  of 
London.  High  overhead  the  houses  extended,  each 
story  advancing  beyond  that  below  it  until  the 
occupiers  of  the  attics  could  well-nigh  shake  hands 
across.  They  soon  left  the  more  crowded  streets, 
and  turning  to  the  right,  after  ten  minutes'  walking, 
the  smith  stopped  in  front  of  a  bowyer  shop  near 
Aldgate. 

"  This  is  the  shop,"  he  said,  "and  there  is  Giles 
Fletcher  himself  trying  the  spring  and  pull  of  one 
of  his  bows.  Here  I  will  leave  you,  and  will  one  of 
these  days  return  to  inquire  if  your  health  has  taken 
aught  of  harm  by  the  rough  buffeting  of  the  storm 
of  yester-even." 

So  saying  he  handed  the  child  to  its  mother,  and 


8  8T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

with  a  wave  of  the  hand  took  his  leave,  not  waiting 
to  listen  to  the  renewed  thanks  which  his  late  guest 
endeavored  to  give  him. 

The  shop  was  open  in  front,  a  projecting  pent- 
house sheltered  it  from  the  weather ;  two  or  three 
bows  lay  upon  a  wide  shelf  in  front,  and  several 
large  sheaves  of  arrows  tied  together  stood  by  the 
wall.  A  powerful  man  of  some  forty  years  old  was 
standing  in  the  middle  of  the  shop  with  a  bent  bow 
in  his  arm,  taking  aim  at  a  spot  in  the  wall. 
Through  an  open  door  three  men  could  be  seen  in 
an  inner  workshop  cutting  and  shaping  the  wood 
for  bows.  The  bowyer  looked  round  as  his  visitor 
entered  the  shop,  and  then,  with  a  sudden  exclama- 
tion, lowered  the  bow. 

"  Hush,  Giles !"  the  lady  exclaimed ;  "  it  is  I, 
but  name  no  names  ;  it  were  best  that  none  knew 
me  here." 

The  craftsman  closed  the  door  of  communication 
into  the  inner  room.  "  My  Lady  Alice,"  he  ex- 
claimed in  a  low  tone,  "  you  here,  and  in  such  a 
guise  ?" 

"  Surely  it  is  I,"  the  lady  sighed,  "  although  some- 
times I  am  well-nigh  inclined  to  ask  myself  whether 
it  be  truly  I  or  not,  or  whether  this  be  not  all  a 
dreadful  dream." 

"  I  had  heard  but  vaguely  of  your  troubles,"  Giles 
Fletcher  said,  "  but  hoped  that  the  rumors  were  false. 
Ever  since  the  Duke  of  Kent  was  executed  the  air 
has  been  full  of  rumors.  Then  came  news  of  the 
killing  of  Mortimer  and  of  the  imprisonment  of  the 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  9 

king's  mother,  and  it  was  said  that  many  who  were 
thought  to  be  of  her  party  had  been  attacked  and 
slain,  and  I  heard "     And  there  he  stopped. 

"  You  heard  rightly,  good  Giles,  it  is  all  true.  A 
week  after  the  slaying  of  Mortimer  a  band  of  knights 
and  men-at-arms  arrived  at  our  castle  and  demanded 
admittance  in  the  king's  name.  Sir  Koland  refused, 
for  he  had  news  that  many  were  taking  up  arms, 
but  it  was  useless.  The  castle  was  attacked  and, 
after  three  days'  fighting,  was  taken.  Koland  was 
killed,  and  I  was  cast  out  with  my  child.  After- 
ward they  repented  that  they  had  let  me  go,  and 
searched  far  and  wide  for  me  ;  but  I  was  hidden  in 
the  cottage  of  a  wood-cutter.  They  were  too  busy 
in  hunting  down  others  whom  they  proclaimed  to 
be  enemies  of  the  king,  as  they  had  wrongfully  said 
of  Eoland,  who  had  but  done  his  duty  faithfully  to 
Queen  Isabella,  and  was  assuredly  no  enemy  of  her 
son,  although  he  might  well  be  opposed  to  the  weak 
and  indolent  king,  his  father.  However,  when  the 
search  relaxed  I  borrowed  the  cloak  of  the  good 
man's  wife  and  set  out  for  London,  whither  I  have 
traveled  on  foot,  believing  that  you  and  Bertha 
would  take  me  in  and  shelter  me  in  my  great  need." 

"  Ay,  that  will  we  willingly,"  Giles  said.  "  Was 
not  Bertha  your  nurse  ?  and  to  whom  should  you 
come  if  not  to  her  ?  But  will  it  please  you  to  mount 
the  stairs  ?  for  Bertha  will  not  forgive  me  if  I  keep 
you  talking  down  here.  What  a  joy  it  will  be  to 
her  to  see  you  again  !" 

So  saying,  Giles  led  the  way  to  the  apartment 


10  8T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

above.  There  was  a  scream  of  surprise  and  joy 
from  his  wife,  and  then  Giles  quietly  withdrew 
downstairs  again,  leaving  the  women  to  cry  in  each 
other's  arms. 

A  few  days  later  Geoffrey  Ward  entered  the  shop 
of  Giles  Fletcher. 

"I  have  brought'  you  twent}^  score  of  arrow- 
heads, Master  Giles,"  he  said.  "  They  have  been 
longer  in  hand  than  is  usual  with  me,  but  I  have 
been  pressed.  And  how  goes  it  with  the  lady 
whom  I  brought  to  your  door  last  week  ?" 

"  But  sadly.  Master  Ward,  very  sadly,  as  I  told 
you  when  I  came  across  to  thank  you  again  in  her 
name  and  my  own  for  your  kindness  to  her.  She 
was  but  in  poor  plight  after  her  journey  ;  poor 
thing,  she  was  little  accustomed  to  such  wet 
and  hardship,  and  doubtless  they  took  all  the  more 
effect  because  she  was  low  in  spirit  and  weakened 
with  much  grieving.  That  night  she  was  taken 
with  a  sort  of  fever,  hot  and  cold  by  turns,  and  at 
times  off  her  head.  Since  then  she  has  lain  in  a 
high  fever  and  does  not  know  even  my  wife ;  her 
thoughts  ever  go  back  to  the  storming  of  the  castle, 
and  she  cries  aloud  and  begs  them  to  spare  her 
lord's  life.  It  is  pitiful  to  hear  her.  The  leech 
gives  but  small  hope  for  her  life,  and  in  troth,  Mas- 
ter Ward,  methinks  that  God  would  deal  most  gen- 
tly with  her  were  he  to  take  her.  Her  heart  is 
already  in  her  husband's  grave,  for  she  was  ever  of 
a  most  loving  and  faithful  nature.  Here  there 
would  be  little  comfort  for  her — she  would  fret  that 


ST.  GEORQE  fOU  ENQLANP.  H 

her  boy  would  never  inherit  the  lands  of  his  father ; 
and  although  she  knows  well  enough  that  she  would 
be  always  welcome  here,  and  that  Bertha  would 
serve  her  as  gladly  and  faithfully  as  ever  she  did 
when  she  was  her  nurse,  yet  she  could  not  but 
greatly  feel  the  change.  She  Avas  tenderly  brought 
up,  being,  as  I  told  you  last  week,  the  only  daugh- 
ter of  Sir  Harold  Broome.  Her  brother,  who  but  a 
year  ago  became  lord  of  Broomecastle  at  the  death 
of  his  father,  was  one  of  the  queen's  men,  and  it  was 
he,  I  believe,  who  brought  Sir  Koland  Somers  to 
that  side.  He  was  slain  on  the  same  night  as  Mor- 
timer, and  his  lands,  like  those  of  Sir  Eoland,  have 
been  seized  by  the  crown.  The  child  upstairs  is  by 
right  heir  to  both  estates,  seeing  that  his  uncle  died 
unmarried.  They  will  doubtless  be  conferred  upon 
those  who  have  aided  the  young  king  in  freeing 
himself  from  his  mother's  domination,  for  which, 
indeed,  although  I  lament  that  Lady  Alice  should 
have  suffered  so  sorely  in  the  doing  of  it,  I  blame 
him  not  at  all.  He  is  a  noble  prince  and  will  make 
us  a  great  king,  and  the  doings  of  his  mother  have 
been  a  shame  to  us  all.  However,  I  meddle  not  in 
politics.  If  the  poor  lady  dies,  as  methinks  is  well- 
nigh  certain.  Bertha  and  I  will  bring  up  the  boy  as 
our  own.  I  have  talked  it  over  with  my  wife,  and 
so  far  she  and  I  are  not  of  one  mind.  I  think  it 
will  be  best  to  keep  him  in  ignorance  of  his  birth 
and  lineage,  since  the  knowledge  cannot  benefit 
him,  and  will  but  render  him  discontented  with  his 
lot  and  make  him  disinclined  to  take  to  my  calling, 


12  ST.  OEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

in  which  he  might  otherwise  earn  a  living  and  rise 
to  be  a  respected  citizen.  But  Bertha  hath  notions. 
You  have  not  taken  a  wife  to  yourself,  Master 
Geoffrey,  or  you  would  know  that  women  oft  have 
fancies  which  wander  widely  from  hard  facts,  and 
she  says  she  would  have  him  brought  up  as  a  man- 
at-arms,  so  that  he  may  do  valiant  deeds,  and  win 
back  some  day  the  title  and  honor  of  his  family." 

Geoffrey  Ward  laughed.  "  Trust  a  woman  for 
being  romantic,"  he  said.  "  However,  Master 
Fletcher,  you  need  not  for  the  present  trouble  about 
the  child's  calling,  even  should  its  mother  die.  At 
any  rate,  whether  he  follows  your  trade,  or  whether 
the  blood  in  his  veins  leads  him  to  take  to  martial 
deeds,  the  knowledge  of  arms  may  well  be  of  use 
to  him,  and  I  promise  you  that  such  skill  as  I  have 
I  will  teach  him  when  he  grows  old  enough  to 
wield  sword  and  battle-ax.  As  you  know  I  may, 
without  boasting,  say  that  he  could  scarce  have  a 
better  master,  seeing  that  I  have  for  three  years 
carried  away  the  prize  for  the  best  sword-player  at 
the  sports.  Methinks  the  boy  will  grow  up  into  a 
strong  and  stalwart  man,  for  he  is  truly  a  splendid 
lad.  As  to  archery,  he  need  not  go  far  to  learn  it, 
since  your  apprentice.  Will  Parker,  last  year  won 
the  prize  as  the  best  marksman  in  the  city  bounds. 
Trust  me,  if  his  tastes  lie  that  way  we  will  between 
us  turn  him  out  a  rare  man-at-arms.  But  I  must 
stand  gossiping  no  longer ;  the  rumors  that  we  are 
likely  ere  long  to  have  war  with  France  have  rare- 
ly bettered  my  trade.     Since  the  wars  in  Scotland 


ST.  QEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  13 

men's  arms  have  rusted  somewhat,  and  my  two 
men  are  hard  at  work  mending  armor,  and  fitting 
swords  to  hilts,  and  forging  pike-heads.  You  see  I 
am  a  citizen,  though  I  dwell  outside  the  bounds,  be- 
cause house  rent  is  cheaper  and  I  get  my  charcoal 
without  paying  the  city  dues.  So  I  can  work  some- 
what lower  than  those  in  the  walls,  and  I  have  good 
custom  from  many  in  Kent,  who  know  that  my  arms 
are  of  as  good  temper  as  those  turned  out  by  any 
craftsman  in  the  city." 

Giles  Fletcher's  anticipations  as  to  the  result  of 
his  guest's  illness  turned  out  to  be  well  founded. 
The  fever  abated,  but  left  her  prostrate  in  strength. 
For  a  few  weeks  she  lingered  ;  but  she  seemed  to 
have  little  hold  of  life,  and  to  care  not  whether  she 
lived  or  died.     So  gradually  she  faded  away. 

^'  I  know  you  will  take  care  of  my  boy  as  if  he 
were  your  own.  Bertha,"  she  said  one  day,  "  and  you 
and  your  husband  will  be  far  better  protectors  for 
him  than  I  should  have  been  had  I  lived.  Teach 
him  to  be  honest  and  true.  It  were  better,  methinks, 
that  he  grew  up  thinking  you  his  father  and  mother, 
for  otherwise  he  may  grow  discontented  with  his  lot ; 
but  this  I  leave  with  you,  and  you  must  speak  or 
keep  silent  according  as  you  see  his  disposition  and 
mind.  If  he  is  content  to  settle  down  to  a  peaceful 
life  here,  say  naught  to  him  which  would  unsettle 
his  mind  ;  but  if  Walter  turn  out  to  have  an  adven- 
turous disposition,  then  tell  him  as  much  as  you 
think  fit  of  his  history,  not  encouraging  him  to 
hope  to  recover  his  father's  lands  and  mine,  for  that 


14  ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

can  never  be,  seeing  that  before  that  time  can  come 
they  would  have  been  enjoyed  for  many  years  by 
others ;  but  that  he  may  learn  to  bear  himself 
bravely  and  gentlj'^,  as  becomes  one  of  good  blood." 

A  few  days  later  Lady  Alice  breathed  her  last, 
and  at  her  own  request  was  buried  quieth^  and  with- 
out pomp,  as  if  she  had  been  a  child  of  the  bowman, 
a  plain  stone,  with  the  name  "  Dame  Alice  Somers," 
marking  the  grave. 

The  boy  grew  and  throve  until  at  fourteen  years 
old  there  was  no  stronger  or  sturdier  lad  of  his  age 
within  the  city  bounds.  Giles  had  caused  him  to 
be  taught  to  read  and  write,  accomplishments  which 
were  common  among  the  citizens,  although  they 
were  until  long  afterward  rare  among  the  warlike 
barons.  The  greater  part  of  his  time,  however,  was 
spent  in  sports  with  lads  of  his  own  age  in  Moor- 
fields  beyond  the  walls.  The  war  with  France  was 
now  raging,  and  as  was  natural,  the  boys  in  their 
games  imitated  the  doings  of  their  elders,  and  mimic 
battles,  ofttimes  growing  into  earnest,  were  fought 
between  the  lads  of  the  different  wards.  Walter 
Fletcher,  as  he  was  known  among  his  play-fellows, 
had  by  his  strength  and  courage  w^on  for  himself  the 
proud  position  of  captain  of  the  boys  of  the  ward  of 
Aldgate. 

Geoffrey  Ward  had  kept  his  word,  and  had  al- 
ready begun  to  give  the  lad  lessons  in  the  use  of 
arms.  When  not  engaged  otherwise  Walter  would, 
almost  every  afternoon,  cross  London  Bridge 
and  would   spend   hours   in   the   armorer's   forge. 


8T,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  15 

Geoffrey's  business  had  grown,  for  the  war  had 
caused  a  great  demand  for  arms,  and  he  had  now 
six  men  working  in  the  forge.  As  soon  as  the  boy 
could  handle  a  light  tool  Geoffrey  allowed  him  to 
work,  and  although  not  able  to  wield  the  heavy 
sledge,  Walter  was  able  to  do  much  of  the  finer 
work.  Geoffrey  encouraged  him  in  this,  as,  in  the 
first  place,  the  use  of  the  tools  greatly  strengthened 
the  boy's  muscles,  and  gave  him  an  acquaintance 
with  arms.  Moreover,  Geoffrey  was  still  a  bachelor, 
and  he  thought  that  the  boy,  whom  he  as  well  as 
Giles  had  come  to  love  as  a  son,  might,  should  he 
not  take  up  the  trade  of  war,  prefer  the  occupation 
of  an  armorer  to  that  of  a  bow  maker,  in  which  case 
he  would  take  him  some  day  as  his  partner  in  the 
forge.  After  work  was  over  and  the  men  had  gone 
away  Geoffrey  Avould  give  the  lad  instructions  in 
the  use  of  the  arms  at  which  he  had  been  at  work, 
and  so  quick  and  strong  was  he  that  he  rapidly 
acquired  their  use,  and  Geoffrey  foresaw  that  he 
would  one  day,  should  his  thoughts  turn  that  way, 
prove  a  mighty  man-at-arms. 

It  was  the  knowledge  which  he  acquired  from 
Geoffrey  which  had  much  to  do  with  Walters 
position  among  his  comrades.  The  skill  and 
strength  which  he  had  acquired  in  wielding  the 
hammer,  and  by  practice  with  the  sword,  rendered 
him  a  formidable  opponent  with  the  sticks,  which 
formed  the  weapons  in  the  mimic  battles,  and 
indeed  not  a  few  were  the  complaints  which  were 
brought  before  Giles  Fletcher  of  bruises  and  hurts 
caused  by  him. 


16  ST.  OBORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"You  are  too  turbulent,  Walter,"  the  bowyer 
said  one  day  when  a  haberdasher  from  the  ward  of 
Aldersgate  came  to  complain  that  his  son's  head 
had  been  badly  cut  by  a  blow  with  a  club  from 
Walter  Fletcher.  "You  are  always  getting  into 
trouble,  and  are  becoming  the  terror  of  other 
boys.  Why  do  you  not  play  more  quietly  ?  The 
feuds  between  the  boys  of  different  wards  are 
becoming  a  serious  nuisance,  and  many  injuries 
have  been  inflicted.  I  hear  that  the  matter  has 
been  mentioned  in  the  Common  Council,  and  that 
there  is  a  talk  of  issuing  an  order  that  no  boy  not 
yet  apprenticed  to  a  trade  shall  be  allowed  to  carry 
a  club,  and  that  any  found  doing  so  shall  be  pub- 
licly whipped." 

"  I  don't  want  to  be  turbulent,"  Walter  said ; 
"  but  if  the  Aldersgate  boys  will  defy  us,  what  are 
we  to  do  ?  I  don't  hit  harder  than  I  can  help,  and 
if  Jonah  Harris  would  leave  his  head  unguarded  I 
could  not  help  hitting  it." 

"  I  tell  you  it  won't  do,  Walter,"  Giles  said. 
"  You  will  be  getting  yourself  into  sore  trouble. 
You  are  growing  too  masterful  altogether,  and  have 
none  of  the  quiet  demeanor  and  peaceful  air  which 
becomes  an  honest  citizen.  In  another  six  months 
you  will  be  apprenticed,  and  then  I  hope  we  shall 
hear  no  more  of  these  doings." 

"  My  father  is  talking  of  apprenticing  me,  Master 
Geoffrey,"  Walter  said  that  evening.  "I  hope  that 
you  will,  as  you  were  good  enough  to  promise,  talk 
with  him  about  apprenticing  me  to  your  craft  rather 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  17 

than  to  his.  I  should  never  take  to  the  making  of 
bows,  though,  indeed,  I  like  well  to  use  them  ;  and 
Will  Parker,  who  is  teaching  me,  says  that  I  show 
rare  promise  ;  but  it  would  never  be  to  m}^  taste  to 
stand  all  day  sawing,  and  smoothing,  and  polish- 
ing. One  bow  is  to  me  much  like  another,  though 
ray  father  holds  that  there  are  rare  differences  be- 
tween them ;  but  it  is  a  nobler  craft  to  work  on 
iron,  and  next  to  using  arms  the  most  pleasant  thing 
surely  is  to  make  them.  One  can  fancy  what  good 
blows  the  sword  will  give  and  what  hard  knocks 
the  armor  will  turn  aside ;  but  some  day,  Master 
Geoffrey,  when  I  have  served  my  time,  I  mean  to 
follow  the  army.  There  is  always  work  there  for 
armorers  to  do,  and  sometimes  at  a  pinch  they  may 
even  get  their  share  of  fighting." 

Walter  did  not  venture  to  say  that  he  would 
prefer  to  be  a  man-at-arms,  for  such  a  sentiment 
would  be  deemed  as  outrageous  in  the  ears  of  a  quiet 
city  craftsman  as  would  the  proposal  af  the  son  of 
such  a  man  nowadays  to  enlist  as  a  soldier.  The 
armorer  smiled ;  he  knew  well  enough  what  was 
in  Walter's  mind.  It  had  cost  Geoffrey  himself  a 
hard  struggle  to  settle  down  to  a  craft,  and  he 
deemed  it  but  natural  that  with  the  knightly  blood 
flowing  in  Walter's  veins  he  should  long  to  distin- 
guish himself  in  the  field.  He  said  nothing  of  this, 
however,  but  renewed  his  promise  to  speak  to  Giles 
Fletcher,  deeming  that  a  few  years  passed  in  his 
forge  would  be  the  best  preparation  which  Walter 
could  have  for  a  career  as  a  soldier. 


18  8T.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   HUT   IN   THE   MARSHES. 

A  WEEK  later  a  party  of  knights  and  court  gal- 
lants, riding  across  the  fields  without  the  walls, 
checked  their  horses  to  look  at  a  struggle  which  was 
going  on  between  two  parties  of  boys.  One,  which 
was  apparently  the  most  powerful,  had  driven  the 
other  oif  from  a  heap  of  rubbish  which  had  been 
carried  without  the  walls.  Each  party  had  a  flag 
attached  to  a  stick,  and  the  boys  were  armed  with 
clubs  such  as  those  carried  by  the  apprentice  boys. 
Many  of  them  carried  mimic  shields  made  of  wood, 
and  had  stuffed  their  flat  caps  with  wool  or  shav- 
ings, the  better  to  protect  their  heads  from  blows. 
The  smaller  party  had  just  been  driven  from  the 
heap,  and  their  leader  was  urging  them  to  make 
another  effort  to  regain  it. 

"  That  is  a  gallant-looking  lad,  and  a  sturdy,  my 
Lord  de  Yaux,"  a  boy  of  about  ten  years  of  age 
said.  "  He  bears  himself  like  a  young  knight,  and 
he  has  had  some  hard  knocks,  for,  see,  the  blood  is 
streaming  down  his  face.  One  would  scarcely  ex- 
pect to  see  these  varlets  of  the  city  playing  so 
roughly." 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  19 

"  The  citizens  have  proved  themselves  sturdy 
fighters  before  now,  my  prince,"  the  other  said ; 
"  they  are  ever  independent,  and  hold  to  their  rights 
even  against  the  king.  The  contingent  which  the 
city  sends  to  the  wars  bears  itself  as  well  as  those 
of  any  of  the  barons." 

"  See  !"  the  boy  interrupted,  "  they  are  going  to 
charge  again.  The  leader  has  himself  seized  the 
flag  and  has  swung  his  shield  behind  him,  just  as  a 
knight  might  do  if  leading  the  stormers  against  a 
place  of  strength.  Let  us  stop  till  we  see  the  end 
of  it." 

With  a  shout  of  "  Aldgate  !  Aldgate  !"  the  leader 
of  the  assailants  dashed  forward,  followed  by  his 
comrades,  and  with  a  rush  reached  the  top  of  the 
heap. 

"  Well  done !"  the  young  prince  exclaimed,  clap- 
ping his  hands.  "  See  how  he  lays  about  him  with 
that  club  of  his.  There,  he  has  knocked  down  the 
leader  of  the  defenders  as  if  his  club  had  been  a 
battle-ax.  Well  done,  young  sir,  well  done  !  But  his 
followers  waver.  The  others  are  too  strong  for  them. 
Stand,  you  cowards,  rally  round  your  leader !" 
And  in  his  enthusiasm  the  young  prince  urged  his 
horse  forward  to  the  scene  of  coflict. 

'  But  the  assailants  were  mastered  ;  few  of  them 
could  gain  the  top  of  the  heap,  and  those  who  did 
so  were  beaten  back  from  it  by  the  defenders. 
Heavy  blows  were  exchanged,  and  blood  flowed 
freely  from  many  of  their  heads  and  faces,  for  in 
those   days  boys  thought  less  than  they  do  now  of 


20  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

hark  knocks,  and  manliness  and  courage  were  con- 
sidered the  first  of  virtues.  Their  leader,  however, 
still  stood  his  ground  on  the  crest,  though  hardly 
pressed  on  all  sides,  and  used  his  club  both  to  strike 
and  parry  with  a  skill  which  aroused  the  warmest 
admiration  on  the  part  of  the  prince.  In  vain  his 
followers  attempted  to  come  to  his  rescue ;  each 
time  they  struggled  up  the  heap  they  were  beaten 
back  again  by  those  on  the  crest. 

"Yield  thee  prisoner,"  the  assailants  of  their 
leader  shouted,  and  the  prince  in  his  excitement 
echoed  the  cry.  The  lad,  however,  heard  or  heeded 
them  not.  He  still  kept  his  flag  aloft  in  his  left 
hand.  With  a  sudden  spring  he  struck  down  one  of 
his  opponents,  plucked  up  their  flag  from  the 
ground,  and  then  fought  his  way  back  through  his 
foes  to  the  edge  of  the  battle  ground  ;  then  a  heavy 
blow  struck  him  on  the  temple,  and,  still  holding 
the  flags,  he  rolled  senseless  to  the  foot  of  the  heap. 
The  defenders  with  shouts  of  triumph  were  rushing 
down,  when  the  prince  urged  his  horse  forward. 

"  Cease !"  he  said  authoritatively.  "  Enough  has 
been  done,  my  young  masters,  and  the  sport  is  be- 
coming a  broil." 

Hitherto  the  lads,  absorbed  in  their  strife,  had 
paid  but  little  heed  to  the  party  of  unlookers ;  but 
at  the  word  they  at  once  arrested  their  arms,  and, 
baring  their  heads,  stood  still  in  confusion. 

"  No  harm  is  done,"  the  prince  said,  "  though 
your  sport  is  of  the  roughest ;  but  I  fear  that  your 
leader  is  hurt,  he  moves  not ;  lift  his  head  from  the 


ST.  QEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  %\ 

ground."  The  boy  was  indeed  still  insensible.  "  My 
lords,"  the  prince  said  to  the  knights  who  had  now 
ridden  up,  "  I  fear  that  this  boy  is  badly  hurt ;  he 
is  a  gallant  lad,  and  has  the  spirit  of  a  true  knight 
in  him,  citizen's  son  though  he  be.  My  Lord  de 
Yaux,  will  you  bid  your  squire  ride  at  full  speed  to 
the  Tower  and  tell  Master  Roger,  the  leech,  to  come 
here  with  all  haste,  and  to  bring  such  nostrums  as 
may  be  needful  for  restoring  the  boy  to  life?" 

The  Tower  was  but  half  a  mile  distant,  but  before 
Master  Roger  arrived  Walter  had  already  recovered 
consciousness,  and  was  just  sitting  up  when  the 
leech  hurried  up  to  the  spot. 

"  You  have  arrived  too  late.  Master  Roger,"  the 
prince  said  ;  ''"  but  I  doubt  not  that  a  dose  of  your 
cordials  may  yet  be  of  use,  for  he  is  still  dazed,  and 
the  blow  he  got  would  have  cracked  his  skull  had  it 
been  a  tHin  one." 

The  leech  poured  some  cordial  from  a  vial  into  a 
small  silver  cup  and  held  it  to  the  boy's  lips.  It 
was  potent  and  nigh  took  his  breath  away ;  but 
when  he  had  drunk  it  he  struggled  to  his  feet, 
lookino;  ashamed  and  confused  when  he  saw  himself 
the  center  of  attention  of  so  many  knights  of  the 
court. 

"  What  is  thy  name,  good  lad  V  the  prince  asked. 

"  I  am  known  as  Walter  Fletcher." 

"  You  are  a  brave  lad,"  the  prince  said,  "  and  if 
you  bear  yoa  as  well  as  a  man  as  you  did  but  now,  I 
would  wish  no  better  to  ride  beside  me  in  the  day  of 
battle.     Should  the  time  ever  come  when  you  tire 


22  ST.  QEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

of  the  peaceable  life  of  a  citizen  and  wish  to  take 
service  in  the  wars,  go  to  the  Tower  and  ask  boldly 
for  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  I  will  enroll  you 
among  my  own  men-at-arms,  and  I  promise  you  that 
you  shall  have  your  share  of  fighting  as  stark  as 
that  of  the  assault  of  yon  heap.  Now,  my  lords, 
let  us  ride  on ;  T  crave  your  pardon  for  having  so 
long  detained  you." 

Walter  was  some  days  before  he  could  again  cross 
London  Bridge  to  inform  his  friend  Geoffrey  of  the 
honor  which  had  befallen  him  of  being  addressed 
by  the  Prince  of  Wales.  During  the  interval  he 
was  forced  to  lie  abed,  and-  he  was  soundly  rated  b}^ 
Master  Giles  for  again  getting  into  mischief. 
Geoffrey  was  farmore  sympathetic,  and  said :  "  Well, 
Walter,  although  I  would  not  that  Gaffer  Giles 
heard  me  say  so,  I  think  you  have  had  a  piece  of 
rare  good  fortune.  It  may  be  that  you  may  never 
have  cause  to  recall  the  young  prince's  promise  to 
him ;  but  should  you  some  day  decide  to  embrace 
the  calling  of  arms,  you  could  wish  for  nothing 
better  than  to  ride  behind  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
He  is,  by  all  accounts,  of  a  most  noble  and  generous 
disposition,  and  is  said,  young  as  he  is,  to  be  already 
highly  skilled  in  arms.  Men  say  that  he  will  be  a 
wise  king  and  a  gallant  captain,  such  a  one  as  a 
brave  soldier  might  be  proud  to  follow ;  and  as  the 
king  will  be  sure  to  give  him  plenty  of  opportuni- 
ties of  distinguishing  himself,  those  who  ride  with  him 
may  be  certain  of  a  chance  of  doing  valorous  deeds. 
I  will  go  across  the  bridge  to-morrow,  and  will  have 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  23 

a  talk  with  Master  Fletcher.  The  sooner  you  are 
apprenticed  the  sooner  you  will  be  out  of  your  time ; 
and  since  Madge  married  eight  years  since  I  have 
been  lonely  in  the  house  and  shall  be  glad  to  have 
you  with  me." 

Geoffrey  Ward  found  his  friend  more  ready  to 
accede  to  his  request  that  Walter  should  be  appren- 
ticed to  him  than  he  had  expected.  The  bowyer, 
indeed,  was  a  quiet  man,  and  the  high  spirits  and 
somewhat  turbulent  disposition  of  his  young  charge 
gave  him  so  much  uneasiness  that  he  was  not  sorry 
the  responsibility  of  keeping  him  in  order  should  be 
undertaken  by  Geoffrey.  Moreover,  he  could  not 
but  agree  with  the  argument  that  the  promiee  of 
the  Prince  of  Wales  offered  a  more  favorable  oppor- 
tunity for  Walter  to  enter  upon  the  career  of  arms, 
and  so,  perhaps,  some  day  to  win  his  way  back  to 
rank  and  honors  than  could  have  been  looked  for. 
Therefore,  on  the  following  week  Walter  w^as 
indentured  to  the  armorer,  and,  as  was  usual  at  the 
time,  left  his  abode  in  Aldgate  and  took  up  his 
residence  with  his  master.  He  threw  himself  with 
his  whole  heart  into  the  work,  and  by  the  time  he 
was  fifteen  was  on  the  way  to  become  a  skillful 
craftsman.  His  frame  and  muscles  developed  with 
labor,  and  he  was  now  able  to  swing  all  save  the 
very  heaviest  hammers  in  the  shop.  He  had  never 
abated  in  his  practice  at  arms,  and  every  day  when 
work  was  over  he  and  bis  master  had  a  long  bout 
together  with  cudgel  or  quarter-staff,  sword  or  ax. 
Walter,  of  course,  used  light  weapons,  but  so  quick 


24  ST.  OEOROE  for  ENGLAND. 

was  he  with  them  that  Geoffrey  "Ward  acknowledged 
that  he  needed  to  put  out  all  his  skill  to  hold  his 
own  with  his  pupil.  But  it  was  not  alone  with 
Geoffrey  that  Walter  had  an  opportunity  of  learn- 
ing the  use  of  arms.  Whenever  a  soldier,  re- 
turned from  the  wars,  came  to  have  a  weapon 
repaired  by  the  armorer,  he  would  be  sure  of  an 
invitation  to  come  in  in  the  evening  and  take  a 
stoup  of  ale,  and  tell  of  the  battles  and  sieges  he 
had  gone  through,  and  in  the  course  of  the  evening 
would  be  asked  to  have  a  bout  of  arms  with  the 
young  apprentice,  whom  Geoffrey  represented  as 
being  eager  to  learn  how  to  use  the  sword  as  well 
as  how  to  make  it. 

Thus  Walter  became  accustomed  to  different 
styles  of  fighting,  but  found  that  very  few,  indeed, 
of  their  visitors  were  nearly  so  well  skilled  with 
their  arms  as  his  master.  Some  of  the  soldiers 
were  mortified  at  finding  themselves  unable  to  hold 
their  own  with  a  boy  ;  others  would  take  their  re- 
verses in  good  part  and  would  come  again,  bring- 
ing with  them  some  comrade  known  to  be  particu- 
larly skilled  with  his  weapons,  to  try  the  temper  of 
thej  armorer's  apprentice.  At  the  age  of  fifteen 
Walter  had  won  the  prize  at  the  sports,  both  for 
the  best  cudgel  play  and  for  the  best  sword-and- 
buckler  play  among  the  apprentices,  to  the  great 
disgust  of  many  who  had  almost  reached  the  age  of 
manhood  and  were  just  out  of  their  time. 

On  Sundays  Walter  always  spent  the  day  with 
Giles   Fletcher  and   his  wife,  going  to  mass  with 


8T,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  25 

them  and  walking  in  the  fields,  where,  after  service, 
the  citizens  much  congregated.  Since  Walter  had 
gone  to  work  he  had  taken  no  part  in  the  fights 
and  frolics  of  his  former  comrades ;  he  was,  in  fact, 
far  too  tired  at  the  end  of  his  day's  work  to  have 
any  desire  to  do  aught  but  to  sit  and  listen  to  the 
tales  of  the  wars,  of  the  many  old  soldiers  who 
pervaded  the  country.  Some  of  these  men  were 
disabled  by  wounds  or  long  service,  but  the  greater 
portion  were  idle  scamps,  who  cared  not  for  the 
hard  blows  and  sufferings  of  a  campaign,  liking  bet- 
ter to  hang  about  taverns  drinking,  at  the  expense 
.  of  those  to  whom  they  related  fabulous  tales  of  the 
gallant  actions  they  had  performed.  Many,  too, 
wandered  over  the  country,  sometimes  in  twos  or 
threes,  sometimes  in  larger  bands,  robbing  and  often 
murdering  travelers  or  attacking  loneiy  houses. 
When  in  one  part  or  another  their  ill  deeds  became 
too  notorious,  the  sheriffs  would  call  out  a  posse  of 
men  and  they  would  be  hunted  down  like  wild 
beasts.  It  was  not,  ,however,  easy  to  catch  them, 
for  great  tracts  of  forests  still  covered  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  country  and  afforded  them  shelter. 

In  the  country  round  London  these  pests  were 
very  numerous,  for  here,  more  than  anywhere  else, 
was  there  a  chance  of  plunder.  The  swamps  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river  had  especially  evil  reputa- 
tion. From  Southwark  to  Putney  stretched  a 
marshy  country  over  which,  at  high  tides,  the  river 
frequently  flowed.  Here  and  there  Avere  wretched 
huts,  difficult  of  access  and  affording  good  hiding- 


26  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

places  for  those  pursued  by  justice,  since  searchers 
could  be  seen  approaching  a  long  way  off,  and  es- 
cape could  be  made  by  paths  across  the  swamp 
known  only  to  the  dwellers  there,  and  where 
heavily  armed  men  dared  not  follow.  Further  south, 
in  the  wild  country  round  Westerham,  where  miles 
of  heath  and  forest  stretched  away  in  all  directions, 
was  another  noted  place  where  the  robber  vagrants 
mustered  thickly,  and  the  Sheriff  of  Kent  had  much 
trouble  with  them. 

The  laws  in  those  days  were  extremely  severe, 
and  death  was  the  penalty  of  those  caught  plunder- 
ing. The  extreme  severity  of  the  laws,  however, 
operated  in  favor  of  its  breakers,  since  the  sympathy 
of  the  people  who  had  little  to  lose  was  with  them, 
and  unless  caught  red-handed  in  the  act  they  could 
generally  escape,  since  none  save  those  who  had 
themselves  been  robbed  would  say  aught  that  would 
place  the  pursuers  on  their  traces,  or  give  testimony 
which  would  cost  the  life  of  a  fellow-creature.  The 
citizens  of  London  were  loud  in  their  complaints 
against  the  discharged  soldiers,  for  it  was  upon 
them  that  the  loss  mainly  fell,  and  it  was  on  their 
petitions  to  the  king  that  the  sheriffs  of  Middlesex 
and  Hertford,  Essex,  Surrey,  and  Kent,  were  gener- 
ally stirred  up  to  put  down  the  ill-doers. 

Sometimes  these  hunts  were  conducted  in  a  whole- 
sale way,  and  the  whole  posse  of  a  county  would  be 
called  out.  Then  all  found  within  its  limits  who 
had  not  land  or  visible  occupation  were  collected. 
Any  against  whom  charges  could  be  brought  home 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  27 

were  hung  without  more  ado,  and  the  rest  were  put 
on  board  ship  and  sent  across  the  sea  to  the  army. 
Sometimes,  when  they  found  the  country  becoming 
too  hot  for  them,  these  men  would  take  service 
with  some  knight  or  noble  going  to  the  war,  anxious 
to  take  with  him  as  strong  a  following  as  might 
be,  and  not  too  particular  as  to  the  character  of  his 
soldiers. 

Walter,  being  of  an  adventurous  spirit,  was  some- 
times wont  of  a  summer  evening,  when  his  work 
was  done,  to  wander  across  the  marshes,  taking 
with  him  his  bow  and  arrows,  and  often  bringing 
home  a  wild  duck  or  two  which  he  had  shot  in  the 
pools.  More  than  once  surly  men  had  accosted  him, 
and  had  threatened  to  knock  him  on  the  head  if  they 
again  found  him  wandering  that  way  ;  but  Walter 
laughed  at  their  threats,  and  seeing  that  though 
but  an  apprentice  lad,  he  might  be  able  to  send  an 
Arrow  as  straight  to  the  mark  as  another,  they  were 
content  to  leave  him  alone. 

One  day  when  he  was  well-nigh  in  the  heart  of 
the  swamp  of  Lambeth  he  saw  a  figure  making  his 
way  across.  The  hour  was  already  late  and  the 
tiight  was  falling,  and  the  appearance  of  the  man 
was  so  different  from  that  of  the  usual  denizens  of  / 
the  swamp  that  Walter  wondered  what  his  business 
there  might  be.  Scarcely  knowing  why  he  did  so, 
Walter  threw  himself  down  among  some  low  brush- 
wood and  watched  the  approaching  figure.  When 
he  came  near  he  recognized  the  face,  and  saw,  to 
bis  surprise,  that  it  was  a  knight  who  had  but  the 


28  ST.  GEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

day  before  stopped  at  the  armorer's  shop  to  have 
two  rivets  put  in  his  hauberk.  He  had  particularly 
noticed  him,  because  of  the  arrogant  manner  in 
which  he  spoke.  Walter  had  himself  put  in  the 
rivets,  and  had  thought,  as  he  buckled  on  the  armor 
again,  how  unpleasant  a  countenance  was  that  of 
its  wearer.  He  was  a  tall  and  powerful  man,  and 
would  have  been  handsome  had  not  his  eyes  been 
too  closely  set  together ;  his  nose  was  narrow,  and 
the  expression  of  his  face  reminded  "Walter  of  a 
hawk.  He  had  now  laid  aside  his  helmet,  and  his 
figure  was  covered  with  a  long  cloak. 

"  He  is  up  to  no  good,"  Walter  said  to  himself, 
"  for  what  dealings  could  a  knight  honestly  have 
with  the  ruffians  who  haunt  these  swamps?  It  is 
assuredly  no  business  of  mine,  but  it  may  lead  to  an 
adventure,  and  I  have  had  no  real  fun  since  I  left 
Aldgate.  I  will  follow  and  see  if  I  can  get  to  the 
bottom  of  the  mystery." 

When  he  came  close  to  the  spot  where  Walter  was 
lying  the  knight  paused  and  looked  round  as  if  un- 
certain of  his  way.  For  four  or  five  minutes  he 
stood  still,  and  then  gave  a  shout  of  "  Humphrey  !" 
at  the  top  of  his  voice.  It  was  answered  by  a  distant 
"  Halloo !"  and  looking  in  the  direction  from  which 
the  answer  had  come,  Walter  saw  a  figure  appear 
above  some  bushes  some  four  hundred  yards  distant. 
The  knight  at  once  directed  his  steps  in  that  direc- 
tion, and  Walter  crept  cautiously  after  him. 

"  A  pest  upon  these  swamps  and  quagmires,"  the 
knight  said  angrily  as  he  neared  the  other.     "  Why 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  29 

didst  not  meet  me  and  show  me  the  way  through, 
as  before  V 

"  I  thought  that  as  you  had  come  once  you  would 
be  able  to  find  your  way  hither  again,"  the  man 
said.  "  Had  I  thought  that  you  would  have  missed 
it  I  would  have  come  ten  times  as  far,  rather  than 
have  had  my  name  shouted  all  over  the  country. 
However,  there  is  no  one  to  hear,  did  you  shout 
thrice  as  loud,  so  no  harm  is  done." 

"  I  thought  1  saw  a  figure  a  short  time  since," 
the  knight  said. 

The  man  looked  round  in  all  directions. 

"  I  see  none,"  he  said,  "  and  you  may  have  been 
mistaken,  for  the  light  is  waning  fast.  It  were  ill 
for  any  one  I  caught  prying  about  here.  But  come 
in,  sir  knight ;  my  hovel  is  not  what  your  lordship 
is  accustomed  to,  but  we  may  as  well  talk  there  as 
here  beneath  the  sky." 

The  two  men  disappeared  from  Walter's  sight. 
The  latter  in  much  surprise  crept  forward,  but  until 
he  reached  the  spot  where  he  had  last  seen  the 
speakers  he  was  unable  to  account  for  their  disap- 
pearance. Then  he  saw  that  the  spot,  although  ap- 
parently a  mere  clump  of  bushes  no  higher  than  the 
surrounding  country,  was  really  an  elevated  hum- 
mock of  ground.  Any  one  might  have  passed  close 
to  the  bushes  without  suspecting  that  aught  lay 
among  them.  In  the  center,  however,  the  ground 
had  been  cut  away,  and  a  low  doorway,  almost 
hidden  by  the  bushes,  gave  access  into  a  half-subter- 
ranean  hut ;    the  roof  was  formed  of  an  old  boat 


30  ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

turned  bottom  upward,  and  this  had  been  covered 
with  brown  turf.  It  was  an  excellent  place  of  con- 
cealment, as  searchers  might  have  passed  within  a 
ftjot  of  the  bushes  without  suspecting  that  aught 
lay  concealed  within  them. 

"  A  clever  hiding-place,"  Walter  thought  to  him- 
self. "  No  wonder  the  posse  search  these  swamps 
in  vain.  This  is  the  lowest  and  wettest  part  of  the 
swamp,  and  would  be  but  lightly  searched,  for  none 
would  suspect  that  there  was  a  human  habitation 
among  these  brown  ditches  and  stagnant  pools." 

To  his  disappointment  the  lad  could  hear  nothing 
of  the  conversation  which  was  going  on  within  the 
hut.  The  murmur  of  voices  came  to  his  ear,  but  no 
words  were  audible  ;  however,  he  remained  patient- 
ly, thinking  that  perhaps  as  they  came  out  a  word 
might  be  said  which  would  give  him  a  clew  to  the 
object  of  the  mysterious  interview  between  a  knight 
and  one  who  was  evidently  a  fugitive  from  justice. 

His  patience  was  rewarded.  In  the  half-hour 
which  he  waited  the  night  had  fallen,  and  a  thick 
fog  which  was  rising  over  the  swamps  rendered  it 
difficult  to  discern  anything  at  the  distance  of  a  few 
paces. 

"  You  are  quite  sure  that  you  can  manage  it?  "  a 
voice  said  as  the  two  men  issued  from  the  hut. 

"  There  is  no  difficulty  in  managing  it,"  the  other 
replied,  "  if  the  boat  is  punctual  to  the  hour  named. 
It  will  be  getting  dusk  then,  and  if  one  boat  runs 
into  another  no  one  need  be  surprised.  Such  acci- 
dents will  happen," 


8T,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  31 

"  They  will  be  here  just  before  nightfall,"  the 
other  said,  "  and  you  will  know  the  boat  by  the 
white  mantle  the  lady  will  wear.  The  reward  will 
be  fifty  pieces  of  gold,  of  which  you  have  received 
ten  as  earnest.  You  can  trust  me,  and  if  the  job  be 
well  done  I  shall  take  no  count  of  the  earnest- 
money.  " 

"  You  may  consider  it  as  good  as  done,"  the  other 
replied.  "  If  the  boat  is  there  the  matter  is  settled. 
Now  I  will  lead  you  back  across  the  swamps.  I 
would  not  give  much  for  your  life  if  you  tried  to 
find  the  way  alone.  Who  would  have  thought 
when  you  got  me  off  from  being  hung,  after  that 
little  affair  at  Bruges,  that  I  should  be  able  to  make 
myself  useful  to  your  worship  ?  " 

"  You  may  be  sure,"  the  knight  replied,  "  that  it 
was  just  because  I  foresaw  that  you  might  be  useful 
that  I  opened  the  doors  of  your  cell  that  night.  It 
is  always  handy  in  times  like  these  to  be  able  to 
lay  one's  hand  on  a  man  whom  you  can  hang  if  you 
choose  to  open  your  mouth." 

"  Did  it  not  strike  you,  sir  knight,  that  it  might 
enter  my  mind  that  it  would  be  very  advisable  for 
me  to  free  myself  from  one  who  stands  toward  me 
in  that  relation  ? " 

"  Certainly  it  did,"  the  knight  replied ;  "  but  as  I 
happen  to  be  able  to  make  it  for  your  interest  to 
serve  me,  that  matter  did  not  trouble  me.  I  knew 
better  than  to  bring  money  into  this  swamp  of 
yours,  when  I  might  be  attacked  by  half  a  dozen 
ruffians  like  yourself ;  and  I  took  the  precaution  ol 


32  ST.  OEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

informing  Peter,  the  captain  of  my  men-at-arms,  of 
the  spot  to  which  I  was  going,  bidding  him,  in  case 
I  came  not  back,  to  set  a  hue-and-cry  on  foot  and 
hunt  down  all  who  might  be  found  here,  with  the 
especial  description  of  your  worthy  self." 

Walter  could  hear  no  more ;  he  had  taken  off  his 
shoes  and  followed  them  at  a  distance,  and  their 
voices  still  acted  as  a  guide  to  him  through  the 
swamp.  But  he  feared  to  keep  too  close,  as, 
although  the  darkness  would  conceal  his  figure,  he 
might  at  any  moment  tread  in  a  pool  or  ditch,  and 
so  betray  his  presence.  Putting  his  foot  each  time 
to  the  ground  with  the  greatest  caution,  he  moved 
quietly  after  them.  They  spoke  little  more,  but 
their  heavy  footsteps  on  the  swampy  ground  were 
a  sufficient  guidance  for  him.  At  last  these  ceased 
suddenly.  A  few  words  were  spoken,  and  then  he 
heard  returning  steps.  He  drew  aside  a  few  feet 
and  crouched  down,  saw  a  dim  figure  pass  through 
the  mist,  and  then  resumed  his  way. 

The  ground  was  firmer  now,  and,  replacing  his 
shoes,  he  walked  briskly  on.  As  he  neared  the 
higher  ground  along  which  the  road  ran  he  heard 
two  horsemen  galloping  away  in  the  distance.  He 
now  turned  his  face  east,  and  after  an  hour's  walk- 
ing he  reached  the  armorer's. 

"  Why,  Walter,  you  are  late,"  the  smith  said. 
"  The  men  are  in  bed  this  hour  or  more,  and  I  my- 
self can  scarce  keep  awake.  Where  hast  thou  been, 
my  boy  V 

"  I  have  been  in  the  swamps  and  lost  my  way," 
Walter  replied. 


m.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  33 

^'It  is  a  bad  neighborhood,  lad,  and  worse  are  the 
people  who  live  there.  If  I  had  my  way,  the  whole 
posse  should  be  called  out,  and  the  marshes  searched 
from  end  to  end,  and  all  found  there  should  be 
knocked  on  the  head  and  thrown  into  their  own 
ditches.  There  would  be  no  fear  of  any  honest  man 
coming  to  his  end  thereby;  but  now  to  bed,  lad.  You 
can  tell  me  all  about  it  to-morrow;  but  we  have  a  rare 
day's  work  before  us,  and  the  fire  must  be  alight  at 
daybreak.^' 

On  his  way  back  Walter  had  debated  with  himself 
whether  to  inform  his  master  of  what  had  happened. 
He  was,  however,  bent  upon  having  an  adventure  on 
his  own  account,  and  it  was  a  serious  thing  in  those 
days  for  an  apprentice  lad  to  bring  an  accusation 
against  a  noble.  The  city  would  not  indeed  allow 
even  an  apprentice  to  be  overriden,  and  although 
Geoffrey  Ward's  forge  stood  beyond  the  city  walls,  it 
was  3^et  ^vithin  the  liberties,  the  city  allowing  its  crafts- 
men to  open  shops  just  outside  the  gates,  and  to  enjoy 
the  same  privileges  as  if  dwelling  actually  within  the 
walls. 

On  the  following  afternoon  Walter  asked  leave 
to  cease  work  an  hour  earlier  than  usual,  as  he 
wished  to  go  across  into  the  city.  The  armorer  was 
surprised,  since  this  was  the  first  time  that  such 
a  thing  had  happened  since  the  lad  had  worked  for 
him. 

"What  are  you  up  to,  Walter? — some  mischief,  I 
will  be  bound.  G-o,  lad;  you  have  worked  so  steadily 
that  you  have  well  earned  more  than  an  hour's  holiday 
should  you  want  it." 


34  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

Walter  crossed  the  bridge,  and  seeking  out  four 
or  five  of  his  old  companions,  begged  them  to  bring 
their  bows  and  clubs  and  rejoin  him  at  the  stairs  by- 
London  Bridge,  To  their  laughing  inquiries  whether 
he  meant  to  go  a-shooting  of  fish,  he  told  them  to 
ask  no  questions  until  they  joined  him.  As  soon  as 
work  was  over  the  boys  gathered  at  the  steps, 
where  Walter  had  already  engaged  a  boat.  There 
were  some  mocking  inquiries  from  the  watermen 
standing  about  as  to  where  they  were  going  shoot- 
ing. Walter  answered  with  some  light  chaff,  and, 
two  of  the  party  taking  oars,  they  started  up  the 
river. 

"l^owlwill  tell  you  what  we  are  bent  on," 
Walter  said.  "  From  some  words  I  overheard  I 
believe  that  some  of  the  ruffians  over  in  the  marshes 
are  this  evening  going  to  make  an  attack  upon  a 
boat  with  a  lady  in  it  coming  down  the  river.  We 
will  be  on  the  spot,  and  can  give  them  a  reception 
such  as  they  do  not  expect." 

"  Do  you  know  who  the  lady  is,  Walter  ?" 

"  I  have  not  the  least  idea.  I  only  caught  a  few 
words,  and  may  be  wrong ;  still  it  will  do  no  harm 
should  I  be  mistaken." 

The  tide  was  running  down  strongly,  for  there 
had  been  a  good  deal  of  rain  during  the  preceding 
v^^eek,  and  all  night  it  had  poured  heavily.  It  was 
fine  now,  but  the  stream  was  running  down  thick 
and  turbid,  and  it  needed  all  the  boys'  efforts  to 
force  the  wherry  against  it.  They  rowed  by  turns ; 
all  were  fairly  expert  at  the  exercise,  for  in  those 


8T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  35 

days  the  Thames  was  at  once  the  great  highway 
and  playground  of  London.  To  the  wharves\elow 
the  bridge  ships  brought  the  rich  merchandise  of 
Italy  and  the  Low  Countries  ;  while  from  above,  the 
grain  needed  for  the  wants  of  the  great  city  was 
floated  down  in  barges  from  the  west. 

Passing  the  Temple,  the  boys  rowed  along  by  the 
green  banks  and  fields  as  far  as  Westminster,  which 
at  that  time  was  almost  a  rival  of  the  city,  for  here 
were  the  abbey  and  great  monastery  ;  here  were 
the  king's  palace  and  court,  and  the  houses  of  many 
of  his  nobles.  Then  they  went  along  by  the  low 
shores  of  Millbank,  keeping  a  sharp  lookout  for 
boats  going  down  with  the  stream.  It  was  already 
getting  dark,  for  Walter  had  not  allowed  for  the 
strength  of  the  stream,  and  he  was  full  of  anxiety 
lest  he  should  arrive  too  late. 


36  ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A     THWARTED     PLOT. 

A  BOAT  was  rowing  rapidly  down  the  stream.  It 
had  passed  the  village  of  Chelsea,  and  the  men  were 
doing  their  best  to  reach  their  destination  at  West- 
minster before  nigbffall.  Two  men  were  rowing; 
in  the  stern  sat  a  lady  with  a  girl  of  about  eleven 
years  old.  A  woman,  evidently  a  servant,  sat  be- 
side the  lady,  while  behind,  steering  the  boat,  was 
an  elderly  retainer. 

"  It  is  getting  dark,"  the  lady  said  ;  "  I  would 
that  my  Cousin  James  had  not  detained  us  so  long 
at  Richmond,  and  then  after  all  he  was  unable  to 
accojmpany  us.  I  like  not  being  out  on  the  river  so 
late." 

"  E'o,  indeed,  my  lady,"  the  woman  replied  ;  "  I 
have  heard  tell  lately  much  of  the  doings  of  the 
river  pirates.  They  say  that  boats  are  often  picked 
up,  stove  in  and  broken,  and  that  none  know  what 
had  become  of  their  occupants,  and  that  bodies, 
gashed  and  hewn,  are  often  found  floating  in  t-be 
river." 

"  How  horrible,"  the  girl  said  ;  "  your  tale  makes 
me  shiver,  Martha ;  I  would  you  had  said  nothing 
about  it  till  we  were  on  land  again." 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  37 

"  Do  not  be  afraid,  Edith,"  the  lady  said  cheer- 
fully ;  "  we  shall  soon  be  safe  at  Westminster." 

There  were  now  only  two  or  three  boats  to  be 
seen  on  the  river.  They  were  nearing  the  end  of 
their  journey  now,  and  the  great  pile  of  the  abbey 
could  be  seen  through  the  darkness.  A  boat 
with  several  men  in  it  was  seen  rowing  across  the 
river  toward  the  Lambeth  side.  It  was  awkwardly 
managed. 

"  Look  out ! "  the  steersman  of  the  boat  coming 
down  stream  shouted ;  "  you  will  run  into  us  if  you 
don't  mind." 

An  order  was  given  in  the  other  boat,  the  men 
strained  to  their  oars,  and  in  an  instant  the  boat 
ran  with  a  crash  into  the  side  of  the  other,  cutting 
it  down  to  the  water's  edge.  For  a  minute  there 
was  a  wild  scene  of  confusion  ;  the  women  shrieked, 
the  watermen  shouted,  and,  thinking  that  it  was  an 
accident,  strove,  as  the  boat  sank  from  under  them, 
to  climb  into  that  w^hich  had  run  them  down.  They 
were  speedily  undeceived.  One  was  sunk  b}^  a 
heavy  blow  with  an  oar,  the  other  was  stabbed  with 
a  dagger,  while  the  assailants  struck  fiercely  at  the 
old  man  and  the  women. 

At  this  moment,  however,  a  third  boat  made  its 
appearance  on  the  scene,  its  occupants  uttering  loud 
shouts.  As  they  rowed  toward  the  spot  their  ap- 
proach was  heralded  by  a  shower  of  arrows.  Two 
of  the  rufiBans  were  struck— one  fell  over  mortally 
wounded,  the  other  sank  down  into  the  boat. 

"  Kow,  men,  row,"  their  leader  shouted,  "  or  we 
shall  all  be  taken." 


38  ST.  OEOBOE  FOB  ENGLAND, 

Again  seizing  their  oars,  the  rowers  started  at  full 
speed  toward  the  Lambeth  shore.  The  arrows  of 
their  pursuers  still  fell  among  them,  two  more  of 
their  number  being  wounded  before  they  reached 
the  opposite  shore.  The  pursuit  was  not  continued, 
the  new-comers  ceasing  to  row  at  the  spot  where 
the  catastrophe  had  taken  place.  Walter  stood  up 
in  the  boat  and  looked  round.  A  floating  oar,  a 
stretcher,  and  a  sheep-skin  which  had  served  as  a 
cushion  alone  floated. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  choking  cry  heard  a  few 
yards  down  stream,  and  Walter  leaped  into  the  river. 
A  few  strokes  took  him  to  the  side  of  the  girl,  and 
he  found,  on  throwing  his  arm  around  her,  that  she 
was  still  clasped  in  her  mother's  arms.  Seizing 
them  both,  Walter  shouted  to  his  comrades.  They 
had  already  turned  the  boat's  head  and  in  a  min- 
ute were  alongside. 

It  was  a  difficult  task  to  get  the  mother  and  child 
on  board,  as  the  girl  refused  to  loose  her  hold.  It 
was,  however,  accomplished,  and  the  child  sat  still 
and  quiet  by  Walter's  side,  while  his  comrades  en- 
deavored to  stanch  the  blood  which  was  flowing 
from  a  severe  wound  in  her  mother's  head.  When 
they  had  bound  it  up  they  rubbed  her  hands,  and  by 
the  time  they  had  reached  the  steps  at  Westminster 
the  lady  opened  her  eyes.  For  a  moment  she 
looked  bewildered,  and  then,  on  glancing  round, 
she  gave  a  low  cry  of  delight  at^  seeing  her  child 
sitting  by  Walter's  side. 

On  reaching  the   steps  the  boys  handed  her  over 


ST.  OEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  39 

to  the  care  of  the  watermen  there,  who  soon  pro- 
cured a  litter  and  carried  her,  she  being  still  too 
weak  to  walk,  to  the  dwelling  of  the  Earl  of  Talbot, 
where  she  said  she  was  expected.  The  apprentices 
rowed  back  to  London  Bridge,  elated  at  the  success 
of  their  enterprise,  but  regretting  much  that  they 
had  arrived  too  late  to  hinder  the  outrage,  or  to 
prevent  the  escape  of  its  perpetrators. 

Walter  on  his  return  home  related  the  whole  cir- 
cumstance to  his  master. 

"  I  would  you  had  told  me,  Walter,"  the  latter 
said,  "  since  we  might  have  taken  precautions 
which  would  have  prevented  this  foul  deed  from 
taking  place.  However,  I  can  understand  your 
wanting  to  accomplish  the  adventure  without  my 
aid ;  but  we  must  think  now  what  had  best  be  said 
and  done.  As  the  lady  belongs  to  the  court,  there 
is  sure  to  be  a  fine  pother  about  the  matter,  and 
you  and  all  who  were  there  will  be  examined  touch- 
ing your  share  of  the  adventure,  and  how  you  came 
to  be  upon  the  spot.  The  others  will,  of  course, 
say  that  they  were  there  under  your  direction ;  and 
we  had  best  think  how  much  of  your  story  you  had 
better  tell." 

"  Why  should  I  not  tell  it  all  ?"  Walter  asked 
indignantly. 

"  You  should  never  tell  a  lie,  Walter ;  but  in  days 
like  these  it  is  safer  sometimes  not  to  tell  more  than 
is  necessary.  It  is  a  good  rule  in  life,  my  boy,  to 
make  no  more  enemies  than  may  be  needful.  This 
knight,  who  is  doubtless  a  great  villain,  has  maybe 


40  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  E:^  GLAND. 

powerful  friends,  and  it  is  as  well,  if  it  can  be  avoid- 
ed, that  you  should  not  embroil  yourself  with 
these.  Many  a  man  has  been  knocked  on  the  head 
or  stabbed  on  a  dark  night,  because  he  could  not 
keep  his  tongue  from  wagging.  '  Least  said,  the 
sooner  mended,'  is  a  good  proverb ;  but  I  will  think 
it  over  to-night,  and  tell  you  in  the  morning." 

When  they  met  again  in  the  workshop  the  ar- 
morer said  :  "  Clean  yourself  up  after  breakfast, 
Walter,  and  put  on  your  best  clothes.  I  will  go 
with  you  before  the  mayor,  and  then  you  shall  tell 
him  your  story.  There  is  sure  to  be  a  stir  about  it 
before  the  day  is  done.  As  we  walk  thither  we  can 
settle  how  much  of  your  story  it  is  good  to  tell." 

On  their  way  over  the  bridge  Geoffrey  told  Wal- 
ter that  he  thought  he  had  better  tell  the  whole 
story  exactly  as  it  had  occurred,  concealing  only  the 
fact  that  he  had  recognized  the  knight's  face. 
"  You  had  best,  too,"  he  said,  "  mention  naught 
about  the  white  cloak.  If  we  can  catch  the  man 
of  the  hut  in  the  swamp,  likely  enough  the  rack 
will  wring  from  him  the  name  of  his  employer,  and 
in  that  case,  if  you  are  brought  up  as  a  witness 
against  him  you  will  of  course  say  that  you  recog- 
nize his  face ;  but  'tis  better  that  the  accusation 
should  not  come  from  you.  No  great  weight  would 
be  given  to  the  word  of  a  'prentice  boy  as  against 
that  of  a  noble.  It  is  as  bad  for  earthen  pots  to 
knock  against  brass  ones  as  it  is  for  a  yeoman  in 
a  leathern  jerkin  to  stand  up  against  a  knight  in  full 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  41 

"  But  unless  the  lady  knows  her  enemy  she  may 
fall  again  into  his  snares!" 

"  I  have  thought  of  that,"  Geoffrey  said,  "  and  we 
will  take  measures  to  prevent  it." 

"But  how  can  we  prevent  it?"  Walter  asked, 
surprised. 

"  We  must  find  out  who  this  knight  may  be,which 
should,  methinks,  not  be  diflBcult.  Then  we  will 
send  to  him  a  message  that  his  share  in  this  night's 
work  is  known  to  several,  and  that  if  any  harm 
should  ever  again  be  attempted  against  the  lady  or 
her  daughter,  he  shall  be  denounced  before  King 
Edward  himself  as  the  author  of  the  wrong.  I 
trust,  however,  that  we  may  capture  the  man  of  the 
swamp,  and  that  the  truth  may  be  wrung  from  him.' 

By  this  time  they  had  arrived  at  the  guildhall, 
and  making  their  way  into  the  court,  Geoffrey  de- 
manded private  speech  with  the  lord  mayor. 

"  Can  you  not  say  in  open  court  what  is  your 
business  ?"  the  lord  mayor  asked. 

"I  fear  that  if  I  did  it  would  defeat  the  ends  of 
justice." 

Ketiring  with  the  chief  magistrate  into  an  inner 
room,  Geoffrey  desired  Walter  to  tell  his  story. 
This  he  did,  ending  by  saying  that  he  regretted 
much  that  he  had  not  at  once  told  his  master  what 
he  had  heard ;  but  that,  although  he  deemed  evil 
was  intended,  he  did  not  know  that  murder  was 
meant,  and  thought  it  but  concerned  the  carrying 
off  of  some  damsel,  and  that  this  he  had  intended, 
by  the  aid  of  his  comrades,  to  prevent. 


42  ST.  GBOMGE  FOE  ENGLAND. 

"  You  have  done  well,  Master  Walter,  since  that 
be  your  name,"  the  magistrate  said.  "  That  you 
might  have  dene  better  is  true,  for  had  you  acted 
otherwise  you  might  have  prevented  murder  from 
being  done.  Still  one  cannot  expect  old  heads  upon 
young  shoulders.  Give  me  the  names  of  those  who 
were  with  you,  for  I  shall  doubtless  receive  a  mes- 
sage from  Westminster  this  morning  to  know  if  I 
have  heard  aught  of  the  affair.  In  the  mean  time 
we  must  take  steps  to  secure  these  pirates  of  the 
marsh.  The  ground  is  across  the  river,  and  lies  out 
of  my  jurisdiction." 

"It  is  for  that  reason,"  Geoffrey  said,  "that  I 
wished  that  the  story  should  be  told  to  you  pri- 
vately, since  the  men  concerned  might  well  have 
sent  a  friend  to  the  court  to  hear  if  aught  was  said 
which  might  endanger  them." 

"  I  will  give  you  a  letter  to  a  magistrate  of 
Surrey,  and  he  will  dispatch  some  constables  under 
your  guidance  to  catch  these  rascals.  I  fear  there 
have  been  many  murders  performed  by  them  lately 
besides  that  in  question,  and  you  will  be  doing  a 
good  service  to  the  citizens  by  aiding  in  the  capture 
of  these  men." 

"  I  will  go  willingly,"  the  smith  assented. 

"  I  will  at  once  send  off  a  messenger  on  horse- 
back," the  lord  mayor  said,  after  a  moment's 
thought.  "  It  will  be  quicker.  I  will  tell  the  jus- 
tice that  if  he  will  come  to  the  meeting  of  the 
roads  on  Kensington  Common,  at  seven  this  even- 
ing, you  will  be  there  with  your  apprentice  to  act 
as  a  guide." 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND,  43 

"  I  will,"  the  armorer  said,  "  and  will  bring  with 
me  two  or  three  of  my  men  who  are  used  to  hard 
blows,  for,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  have  no  great 
belief  in  the  valor  of  constables,  and  we  may  meet 
with  a  stout  resistance." 

"  So  be  it,"  the  lord  mayor  said ;  "  and  luck 
be  with  you,  for  these  men  are  the  scourges  of  the 
river." 

That  evening  the  armorer  shut  up  his  shop  sooner 
than  usual,  and  accompanied  by  Walter  and  four 
of  his  workmen,  all  carrying  stout  oaken  cudgels, 
with  hand-axes  in  their  girdles,  started  along  the 
lonely  road  to  Kensington.  Half  an  hour  after 
their  arrival  the  magistrate,  with  ten  men,  rode  up. 
He  was  well  pleased  at  the  sight  of  the  reenforce- 
ment  which  awaited  him,  for  the  river  pirates 
might  be  expected  to  make  a  desperate  resistance. 
Geoffrey  advised  a  halt  for  a  time  until  it  should 
be  well-nigh  dark,  as  the  marauders  might  have 
spies  set  to  give  notice  should  strangers  enter  the 
marsh. 

They  started  before  it  was  quite  dark,  as  Walter 
doubted  whether  he  should  be  able  to  lead  them 
straight  to  the  hut  after  the  night  had  completely 
fallen.  He  felt,  however,  tolerably  sure  of  his 
locality,  for  he  had  noticed  that  two  trees  grew  on 
the  edge  of  the  swamp  just  at  the  spot  where  he 
had  left  it.  He  had  no  diflBculty  in  finding  these, 
and  at  once  led  the  way,  The  horses  of  the  magis- 
trate and  his  followers  were  left  in  charge  of  three 
of  their  number. 


U  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"  You  are  sure  you  are  going  right  ?"  the  magis- 
trate said  to  Walter.  "  The  marsh  seems  to  stretch 
everywhere,  and  we  might  well  fall  into  a  quagmire, 
which  would  swallow  us  all  up." 

"  I  am  sure  of  my  way,"  Walter  answered ;  "  see, 
yonder  clump  of  bushes,  which  you  can  just  observe 
above  the  marsh,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away,  is  the 
spot  where  the  house  of  their  leader  is  situated." 

With  strict  injunctions  that  not  a  word  was  to  be 
spoken  until  the  bush  was  surrounded,  and  that  all 
were  to  step  noiselessly  and  with  caution,  the  party 
moved  forward.  It  was  now  nearly  dark,  and  as 
they  approached  the  hut,  sounds  of  laughter  and  rev- 
elry were  heard. 

"  They  are  celebrating  their  success  in  a  carouse," 
Geoffrey  said.  "  We  shall  catch  them  nicely  in 
a  trap." 

When  they  came  close  a  man  who  was  sitting 
just  at  the  low  mouth  of  the  hut  suddenly  sprang  to 
his  feet  and  shouted,  "  Who  goes  there  ?"  He  had 
apparently  been  placed  as  sentry,  but  had  joined  in 
the  potations  going  on  inside,  and  had  forgotten  to 
look  round  from  time  to  time  to  see  that  none 
were  approaching. 

At  his  challenge  the  whole  party  rushed  forward, 
and  as  they  reached  the  hut  the  men  from  within 
came  scrambling  out,  sword  in  hand.  For  two  or 
three  minutes  there  was  a  sharp  fight,  and  had  the 
constables  been  alone  they  would  have  been  de- 
feated, for  they  were  outnumbered  and  the  pirates 
were  desperate. 


8T,  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  45 

The  heavy  clubs  of  the  armorers  decided  the 
fio-ht.  One  or  two  of  the  band  alone  succeeded  in 
breaking  through,  the  rest  were  knocked  down  and 
bound ;  not,  however,  until  several  severe  wounds 
had  been  inflicted  on  their  assailants. 

When  the  fra}'^  was  over,  it  was  found  that  nine 
prisoners  had  been  captured.  Some  of  these  were 
stunned  by  the  blows  which  the  smiths  had  dealt 
them,  and  two  or  three  were  badly  wounded ;  all 
were  more  or  less  injured  in.  the  struggle.  When 
they  recovered  their  senses  they  were  made  to  get 
on  their  feet,  and  with  their  hands  tied  securely  be- 
hind them,  were  marched  between  a  double  line  of 
their  captors  off  the  marsh. 

"  Thanks  for  your  services,''  the  justice  said  when 
they  had  gained  the  place  where  they  had  left  their 
horses.  "  ISTine  of  my  men  shall  tie  each  one  of 
these  rascals  to  their  stirrups  by  halters  round  their 
necks,  and  we  will  give  them  a  smart  run  into 
Kichmond,  where  we  wilUodgj  them  in  the  jail.  To- 
morrow is  Sunday  ;  on  Monday  they  will  be  brought 
before  me,  and  I  shall  want  the  evidence  of  Master 
Walter  Fletcher  and  of  those  who  were  in  the  boat 
with  him  as  to  what  took  place  on  the  river.  Me- 
thinks  the  evidence  on  that  score,  and  the  resistance 
which  they  offered  us  this  evening,  will  be  sufficient 
to  put  a  halter  round  their  necks  ;  but  from  what  I 
have  heard  by  the  letter  which  the  lord  mayor 
sent  me,  there  are  others  higher  in  rank  concerned 
in  the  affair  ;  doubtless  we  shall  find  means  to  make 
these  ruffians  speak." 


46  8T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

Accordingly,  at  the  justice's  orders,  halters  were 
placed  round  the  necks  of  the  prisoners,  the  other 
ends  being  attached  to  the  saddles,  and  the  party 
set  off  at  a  pace  which  taxed  to  the  utmost  the 
strength  of  the  wounded  men.  Geoffrey  and  his 
party  returned  in  high  spirits  to  South wark. 

On  the  Monday  Walter  went  over  to  Eichmond, 
accompanied  by  the  armorers  and  by  the  lads  who 
had  been  in  the  boat  with  him.  The  nine  ruffians, 
strongly  guarded,  were  brought  up  in  the  justice 
room.  Walter  first  gave  his  evidence,  and  re- 
lated how  he  had  overheard  a  portion  of  the  con- 
versation which  led  him  to  believe  that  an  attack 
would  be  made  upon  the  boat  coming  down  the 
river. 

"  Can  you  identify  either  \oi  the  prisoners  as 
being  the  man  whom  you  saw  at  the  door  of  the 
hut  ? " 

*^]Sro,"  Walter  said.  "When  I  first  saw  him  I 
was  too  far  off  to  make  out  his  face.  When  he  left 
the  hut  it  was  dark." 

"  Should  you  kno\\^  the  other  man,  the  one  who 
was  addressed  as  sir  knight,  if  you  saw  him 
again  ? " 

"  I  should,"  Walter  replied.  He  then  gave  an 
account  of  the  attack  upon  the  boat,  but  said  that 
m  the  suddenness  of  the  affair  and  the  growing 
darkness  he  noticed  none  of  the  figures  distinctly 
enough  to  recognize  them  again.  Two  or  three  of 
the  other  apprentices  gave  similar  testimony  as  to 
the  attack. 


8T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  47 

A  gentleman  then  presented  himself,  and  gave 
his  name  as  Sir  William  de  Hertford.  He  said  that 
he  had  come  at  the  request  of  the  Lady  Alice 
Yernon,  who  was  still  suffering  from  the  effects  of 
the  wound  and  immersion.  She  had  requested  him 
to  say  that  at  some  future  occasion  she  would 
appear  to  testify,  but  that  in  the  confusion  and 
suddenness  of  the  attack  she  had  noticed  no  faces  in 
the  boat  which  assailed  them,  and  could  identify 
none  concerned  in  the  affair. 

The  justice  who  had  headed  the  attack  on  the  hut 
then  gave  his  evidence  as  to  that  affair,  the  ar- 
morer also  relating  the  incidents  of  the  conflict. 

"  The  prisoners  will  be  committed  for  trial,"  the 
justice  said.  "  At  ]  esent  there  is  no  actual  proof 
that  any  of  them  were  concerned  in  this  murderous 
outrage  beyond  the  fact  that  they  were  taken  in 
the  place  where  it  was  planned.  The  suspicion  is 
strong  that  some  at  least  were  engaged  in  it.  Upon 
the  persons  of  all  of  them  were  valuable  daggers, 
chains,  and  other  ornaments,  which  could  not  have 
been  come  by  honestly,  and  I  doubt  not  that  they 
form  part  of  the  gang  which  has  so  long  been  a 
terror  to  peaceful  travelers  alike  by  the  road  and 
river,  and  it  may  be  that  some  who  have  been 
robbed  will  be  able  to  identify  the  articles  taken 
upon  them.  They  are  committed  for  trial :  firstly, 
as  having  been,  concerned  in  the  attack  upon  Dame 
Alice  Yernon ;  secondly,  as  being  notorious  ill- 
livers  and  robbers  ;  thirdly^  as  having  resisted  law- 
ful   arrest    by   the  king's    officers.     The  greatest 


48  ST.  QEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

criminal  in  the  affair  is  not  at  present  before  me, 
but  it  may  be  that  from  such  information  as  Dame 
Yernon  may  be  able  to  furnish,  and  from  such  con- 
fessions as  justice  will  be  able  to  wring  from  the 
prisoners,  he  will  at  the  trial  stand  beside  his 
fellows." 

Walter  returned  to  town  with  his  companions. 
On  reaching  the  armorer's  they  found  a  retainer  of 
the  Earl  of  Talbot  awaiting  them,  with  the  message 
that  the  Lady  Alice  Yernon  wished  the  attendance 
of  Walter  Fletcher,  whose  name  she  had  learned 
from  the  lord  mayor  as  that  of  the  lad  to  whom 
she  and  her  daughter  owed  their  lives,  at  noon  on 
the  following  day,  at  the  residence  of  the  Earl  of 
Talbot. 

"  That  is  the  worst  of  an  adventure,"  Walter  said 
crossly,  after  the  retainer  had  departed.  "  One 
can't  have  a  bit  of  excitement  without  being  sent 
for,  and  thanked,  and  stared  at.  I  would  rather 
fight  the  best  swordsman  in  the  city  than  have  to 
go  down  to  the  mansion  of  Earl  Talbot  with  my  cap 
in  my  hand." 

Geoffrey  laughed.  "  You  must  indeed  have 
your  cap  in  your  hand,  Walter ;  but  you  need  not 
bear  yourself  in  that  spirit.  The  'prentice  of  a 
London  citizen  may  have  just  as  much  honest  pride 
and  mdependence  as  the  proudest  earl  at  West- 
minster ;  but  carry  not  independence  too  far.  Re- 
member that  if  you  yourself  had  received  a  great 
service  you  would  be  hurt  if  the  donor  refused  to 
receive  your   thanks;    and   it   would    be  churlish 


ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  49 

indeed  were  you  to  put  on  sullen  looks,  or  to  refuse  to 
accept  any  present  which  the  lady  whose  life  you 
have  saved  may  make  you.  It  is  strange,  indeed, 
that  it  should  be  Dame  Yernon,  whose  husband. 
Sir  Jasper  Yernon,  received  the  fiefs  of  Westerham 
and  Hyde." 

"  Why  should  it  be  curious  that  it  is  she  ?"  Walter 
asked. 

"  Oh !"  G-eoffrey  said  rather  confusedly.  "  I  was 
not  thinking — that  is — I  mean  that  it  is  curious 
because  Bertha  Fletcher  was  for  years  a  dependent 
on  the  family  of  Sir  Koland  Somers,  who  was  killed 
in  the  troubles  when  the  king  took  the  reins  of 
government  in  his  hands,  and  his  lands,  being  for- 
feit, were  given  to  Sir  Jasper  Yernon,  who  aided 
the  king  in  that  affair." 

"  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  about  that,"  Walter 
said.  "  How  was  it  that  there  was  any  trouble  as 
to  King  Edward  having  kingly  authority  ?" 

"  It  happened  in  this  way,"  Geoffrey  said.  "  King 
Edward  II.,  his  father,  was  a  weak  prince,  governed 
wholly  b}^  favorites  and  unable  to  hold  in  check  the 
turbulent  barons.  His  queen,  Isabella  of  France, 
sister  of  the  French  king,  a  haughty  and  ambitious 
woman,  determined  to  snatch  the  reins  of  power 
from  the  indolent  hands  of  her  husband,  and  after 
a  visit  to  her  brother  she  returned  with  an  army 
from  Hainault  in  order  to  dethrone  him.  She  was 
accompanied  by  her  eldest  son,  and  after  a  short 
struggle  the  king  was  dethroned.  He  had  but  few 
friends,  and   men   thought  that   under  the  young 


50  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

Edward,  who  had  already  given  promise  of  virtue 
and  wisdom,  some  order  might  be  introduced  into 
the  realm.  He  was  crowned  Edward  III.,  thus,  at 
the  early  age  of  fifteen,  usurping  the  throne  of  his 
father.  The  real  power,  however,  remained  with 
Isabella,  who  was  president  of  the  council  of  re- 
gency, and  who,  in  her  turn,  was  governed  by  her 
favorite  Mortimer.  England  soon  found  that  the 
change  which  had  been  made  was  far  from  bene- 
ficial. The  government  was  by  turns  weak  and 
oppressive.  The  employment  of  foreign  troops 
was  regarded  with  the  greatest  hostility  by  the 
people,  and  the  insolence  of  Mortimer  alienated  the 
great  barons.  Finally,  the  murder  of  the  dethroned 
king  excited  throughout  the  kingdom  a  feeling  of 
horror  and  loathing  against  the  queen. 

"  All  this  feeling,  however,  was  confined  to  her, 
Edward,  who  was  but  a  puppet  in  her  hands,  being 
regarded  with  affection  and  pity.  Soon  after  his 
succession  the  young  king  was  married  to  our  queen, 
Philippa  of  Hainault,  who  is  as  good  as  she  is 
beautiful,  and  who  is  loved  from  one  end  of  the 
kingdom  to  the  other.  I  can  tell  you,  the  city  was 
a  sight  to  see  when  she  entered  with  the  king. 
Such  pageants  and  rejoicing  were  never  known. 
They  were  so  young,  he  not  yet  sixteen  and  she  but 
fourteen,  and  yet  to  bear  on  their  shoulders  the 
weight  of  the  state.  A  braver-looking  lad  and  a  fairer 
girl  mine  eyes  never  looked  on.  It  was  soon  after  this 
that  the  events  arose  which  led  to  the  war  with 
France,  but  this  is  too  long  a  tale  for  me  to  tell  you 


8T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  51 

now.   The  Prince  of  Wales  was  born  on  the  15th  of 
June,  1330,  two  years  after  the  royal  marriage. 

"  So  far  the  king  had  acquiesced  quietly  in  the 
authority  of  his  mother,  but  he  now  paid  a  visit  to 
France,  and  doubtless  the  barons  around  him  there 
took  advanta.ge  of  his  absence  from  her  tutelage  to 
shake  her  influence  over  his  mind  ;  and  at  the  same 
time  a  rising  took  place  at  home  against  her  author- 
ity. This  was  suppressed,  and  the  Earl  of  Kent,  the 
king's  uncle,  was  arrested  and  executed  by  Isabella. 
This  act  of  severity  against  his  uncle  no  doubt 
hastened  the  prince's  determination  to  shake  off  the 
authority  of  his  haughty  mother  and  to  assume  the 
reins  of  government  himself.  The  matter,  however, 
was  not  easy  to  accomplish.  Mortimer  having  the 
whole  of  the  royal  revenue  at  his  disposal,  had 
attached  to  himself  by  ties  of  interest  a  large  num- 
ber of  barons,  and  had  in  his  pay  nearly  two  hun- 
dred knights  and  a  large  body  of  men-at-arms.  Thus 
it  was  no  easy  matter  to  arrest  him.  It  was  deter- 
mined that  the  deed  should  be  done  at  the  meeting 
of  the  parliament  at  Nottingham.  Here  Mortimer 
appeared  with  Isabella  in  royal  pomp.  They 
took  up  their  abode  at  the  castle,  while  the  king 
and  other  members  of  the  royal  family  were  obliged 
to  content  themselves  with  an  inferior  place  of 
residence. 

"  The  gates  of  the  castle  were  locked  at  sunset, 
and  the  keys  brought  by  the  constable,  Sir  William 
Eland,  and  handed  to  the  queen  herself.  This  knight 
was  9.  loyal  and  gallant  gentleman,  and  regarded 


52  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

Mortimer  with  no  affection,  and  when  he  received 
the  king's  commands  to  assist  the  barons  charged  to 
arrest  him  he  at  once  agreed  to  do  so.  He  was 
aware  of  the  existence  of  a  subterranean  communi- 
cation leading  from  the  interior  of  the  castle  to  the 
outer  country,  and  by  this,  on  the  night  of  the  19th 
of  October,  1330,  he  led  nine  resolute  knights — the 
Lords  Montague,  Suffolk,  Stafford,  Molins,  and 
Clinton,  with  three  brothers  of  the  name  of  Bohun, 
and  Sir  John  ISTevil — into  the  heart  of  the  castle. 
Mortimer  was  found  surrounded  by  a  number  of  his 
friends.  On  the  sudden  entry  of  the  knights  known 
to  be  hostile  to  Mortimer  his  friends  drew  their 
swords,  and  a  short  but  desperate  fight  took  place. 
Many  were  wounded,  and  Sir  Hugh  Turpleton  and 
Richard  Monmouth  were  slain.  Mortimer  was  car- 
ried to  London,  and  was  tried  and  condemned  by 
parliament,  and  executed  for  felony  and  treason. 
Several  of  his  followers  were  executed,  and  others 
were  attacked  in  their  strongholds  and  killed ;  among 
these  was  Sir  Eoland  Somers. 

"  Queen  Isabella  was  confined  in  Castle  Risings, 
where  she  still  remains  a  prisoner.  Such,  Walter, 
were  the  troubles  which  occurred  when  King  Edward 
first  took  up  the  reins  of  power  in  this  realm ;  and 
now,  let's  to  supper,  for  I  can  tell  you  that  my  walk 
to  Kingston  has  given  me  a  marvelous  appetite.  We 
have  three  or  four  hours'  work  yet  before  we  go  to 
bed,  for  that  Milan  harness  was  promised  for  the 
morrow,  and  the  repairs  are  too  delicate  for  me  to 
intrust  it  to  the  men.    It  is  good  to  assist  the  la^v, 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  53 

but  this  work  of  attending  as  a  witness  makes  a 
grievous  break  in  the  time  of  a  busy  man.  It  is  a 
pity,  Walter,  that  your  mind  is  so  set  on  soldiering, 
for  you  would  have  made  a  marvelous  good  crafts- 
man. However,  I  reckon  that  after  you  have  seen 
a  few  years  of  fighting  in  France,  and  have  got 
some  of  your  wild  blood  let  out,  you  will  be  glad 
enough  to  settle  down  here  with  me  ;  as  you  know, 
our  profits  are  good  and  work  plentiful ;  and  did 
I  choose  I  might  hold  mine  head  higher  than  I  do 
among  the  citizens ;  and  you,  if  you  join  me,  may 
well  aspire  to  a  place  in  the  common  council,  ay, 
and  even  to  an  alderman's  gown,  in  which  case  I 
may  yet  be  addressing  you  as  the  very  worshipful 
my  lord  mayor." 

"  Pooh  !"  Walter  laughed  ;  "  a  fig  for  your  lord 
mayors !  I  would  a  thousand  times  rather  be  a 
simple  squire  in  the  following  of  our  young  prince." 


54  ST.  QEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


The  following  morning  Walter  put  on  the  sober 
russet  dress  which  he  wore  on  Sundays  and  holidays, 
for  gay  colors  were  not  allowed  to  the  apprentices, 
and  set  out  for  Westminster.  Although  he  endeav- 
ored to  assume  an  air  of  carelessness  and  ease  as  he 
approached  the  dwelling  of  Earl  Talbot,  he  w^as 
very  far  from  feeling  comfortable,  and  wished  in 
his  heart  that  his  master  had  accompanied  him  on 
his  errand.  Half  a  dozen  men-at-arms  were  stand- 
ing on  the  steps  of  the  mansion,  ,who  looked  with 
haughty  surprise  at  the  young  apprentice. 

"Dame  Alice  Yernon  has  sent  to  express  her 
desire  to  have  speech  with  me,"  he  said  quietly,  "  and 
I  would  fain  know  if  she  can  receive  me." 

"  Here,  Dikon,"  one  of  the  men  cried  to  another 
within  the  hall.  "  This  is  the  lad  you  were  sent  to 
fetch  yesterday.  I  wondered  much  who  the  city 
apprentice  was  who,  with  such  an  assured  air, 
marched  up  to  the  door ;  but  if  what  thou  sayest  be 
true,  that  he  saved  the  life  of  Dame  Yernon  and  her 
little  daughter,  he  must  be  a  brave  lad,  and  would 
be  more  in  place  among  men  and  soldiers  than  in 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  55 

serving  wares  behind  the  counter  of  a  fat  city  trades- 
man." 

"  I  serve  behind  no  counter,"  Walter  said  indig- 
nantly. "  I  am  an  armorer,  and  mayhap  can  use 
arms  as  well  as  make  them." 

There  was  a  laugh  among  the  men  at  the  boy's 
sturdy  self-assertion,  and  then  the  man  named 
Dikon  said : 

"  Come  along,  lad.  I  will  take  you  to  Dame 
Yernon  at  once.  She  is  expecting  you  ;  and,  my 
faith,  it  would  not  be  safe  to  leave  you  standing 
here  long,  for  I  see  you  would  shortly  be  engaged 
in  splitting  the  weasands  of  my  comrades." 

There  was  another  roar  of  laughter  from  the  men, 
and  Walter,  somewhat  abashed,  followed  his  con- 
ductor into  the  house.  Leading  him  through  the 
hall  and  along  several  corridors,  whose  spaciousness 
and  splendor  quite  overpowered  the  young  appren- 
tice, he  handed  him  over  to  a  waiting-woman,  who 
ushered  him  into  an  apartment  where  Dame  Yernon 
was  reclining  on  a  couch.  Her  little  daughter  was 
sitting  upon  a  low  stool  beside  her,  and  upon  seeing 
Walter  she  leaped  to  her  feet,  clapping  her  hands. 

"  Oh  !  mother,  this  is  the  boy  that  rescued  us  out 
of  the  river." 

The  lady  looked  with  some  surprise  at  the  lad. 
She  had  but  a  faint  remembrance  of  the  events 
which  occurred  between  the  time  when  she  received 
a  blow  from  the  sword  of  one  of  her  assailants  and 
that  when  she  found  herself  on  a  couch  in  the  abode 
of  her  kinsman  ;  and  when  she  had  been  told  that 


66  ST.  OEOROE  FOR  EISQLAND, 

she  had  been  saved  by  a  city  apprentice,  she  had 
pictured  to  herself  a  lad  of  a  very  different  kind  to 
him  who  now  stood  before  her. 

Walter  was  now  nearly  sixteen  years  old.  His 
frame  was  very  powerful  and  firmly  knit.  His 
dark-brown  hair  was  cut  short,  but,  being  somewhat 
longer  than  was  ordinary  with  the  apprentices,  fell' 
with  a  slight  wave  back  on  his  forehead.  His 
bearing  was  respectful,  and  at  the  same  time  inde- 
pendent. There  was  none  of  that  confusion  which 
might  be  expected  on  the  part  of  a  lad  from  the 
city  in  the  presence  of  a  lady  of  rank.  His 
dark,  heavy  eyebrows,  resolute  mouth,  and  square 
chin  gave  an  expression  of  sternness  to  his  face, 
which  was  belied  by  the  merry  expression  of  his 
eyes  and  the  bright  smile  when  he  was  spoken  to. 

"I  have  to  thank  you,  j^oung  sir,"  she  said, 
holding  out  her  hand,  which  Walter,  after  the 
custom  of  the  time,  raised  to  his  lips,  bending  upon 
one  knee  as  he  did  so,  "  for  the  lives  of  m3^self  and 
my  daughter,  which  would  surely  have  been  lost 
had  you  not  jumped  over  to  save  us." 

"  I  am  glad  that  I  arrived  in  time  to  be  of  aid," 
Walter  said  frankly  ;  "but  indeed  I  am  rather  to 
be  blamed  than  praised,  for  had  I.  when  I  heard 
the  plotting  against  the  safety  of  the  boat,  told  my 
master  of  it,  as  I  should  have  done,  instead  of  taking 
the  adventure  upon  mine  own  shoulders,  doubtless 
a  boat  would  have  been  sent  up  in  time  to  prevent 
the  attack  from  taking  place.  Therefore,  instead 
of  being  praised  for  having  arrived  a  little  too  late, 


8T.  OEOBGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  57 

I  should  be  rated  for  not  having  come  there  in 
tsirae." 

Dame  Yernon  smiled. 

"Although  you  may  continue  to  insist  that  you  are 
to  blame,  this  does  not  alter  the  fact  that  you  have 
saved  our  lives.  Is  there  any  wa}^  in  which  I  can 
be  useful  to  you  ?  Are  you  discontented  with  your 
state  ?  for,  in  truth,  you  look  as  if  ISTature  had  in- 
tended you  for  a  gallant  soldier  rather  than  a  city 
craftsman.  Earl  Talbot,  Avho  is  my  uncle,  would,  I 
am  sure,  receive  you  into  his  following  should  you 
so  choose  it,  and  I  would  gladly  pay  for  the  cancel- 
ing of  your  indentures." 

"  I  thank  you,  indeed,  lady,  for  your  kind  of- 
fices," Walter  said  earnestly  ;  "  for  the  present  I  am 
well  content  to  remain  at  my  craft,  which  is  that  of 
an  armorer,  until,  at  any  rate,  I  have  gained  such 
manly  strength  and  vigor  as  would  fit  me  for  a 
man-at-arms,  and  my  good  master,  Geoffrey  Ward, 
will,  without  payment  received,  let  me  go  when  I 
ask  that  grace  of  him." 

"  Edith,  go  and  look  from  the  window  at  the  boats 
passing  along  the  river  ;  and  now,"  she  Avent  on  as 
the  girl  had  obeyed  her  orders,  "  I  would  fain  ask 
you  more  about  the  interview  you  overheard  in  the 
marshes.  Sir  William  de  Hertford  told  me  of  the 
evidence  that  you  had  given  before  the  justice.  It 
is  passing  strange  that  he  who  incited  the  other  to 
the  deed  should  have  been  by  him  termed  '  Sir 
Knight.'  Maybe  it  was  merelj^  a  nickname  among 
his  fellows." 


58  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"  Before  I  speak,  lady,"  Walter  said  quietly,  "  I 
would  fain  know  whether  you  wish  to  be  assured  of 
the  truth.  Sometimes,  they  say,  it  is  wiser  to  re- 
main in  ignorance ;  at  other  times  forewarned  is 
forearmed.  Frankly,  I  did  not  tell  all  I  know 
before  the  court,  deeming  that  perad venture  you 
might  wish  to  see  me,  and  that  I  could  then  tell  the 
whole  to  your  private  ear,  should  you  wish  to  know 
it,  and  you  could  then  bid  me  either  keep  silence  or 
proclaim  all  I  knew  when  the  trial  of  these  evil-doers 
comes  on." 

"  You  seem  to  me  to  be  wise  beyond  your  years, 
young  sir,"  the  lady  said. 

"  The  wisdom  is  not  mine,  lady,  but  my  master's. 
I  took  counsel  with  him,  and  acted  as  he  advised 
me." 

"  I  would  fain  know  all,"  the  lady  said.  "  I  have 
already  strange  suspicions  of  one  from  whom  assur- 
edly I  looked  not  for  such  evil  designs.  It  will 
grieve  me  to  be  convinced  that  the  suspicions  are 
well  founded ;  but  it  will  be  better  to  know  the 
truth  than  to  remain  in  a  state  of  doubt." 

"  The  person,  then,  was  a  knight,  for  I  had  seen 
him  before  when  he  came  in  knightly  harness 
into  my  master's  shop  to  have  two  rivets  put  into 
his  hauberk.  I  liked  not  his  face  then,  and  should 
have  remembered  it  anywhere.  I  knew  him  at 
once  when  I  saw  him.  He  was  a  dark-faced  knight, 
handsome,  and  yet  with  features  which  reminded 
me  of  a  hav>^k." 

Dame  Yernon  gave  a  little  exclamation,   which 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  59 

assured  the  lad  that  she  recognized  the  descrip- 
tion. 

"  You  may  partly  know,  lady,  whether  it  is  he 
whom  you  suppose,  for  he  said  that  he  would  detain 
your  boat  so  that  it  should  not  come  along  until 
dark,  and,  moreover,  he  told  them  that  they  would 
know  the  boat  since  you  would  be  wrapped  in  a 
white  mantle.^' 

The  lady  sat  for  some  time  with  her  face  hidden 
in  her  hands. 

"  It  is  as  I  feared,"  she  said  at  last, "  and  it  grieves 
me  to  the  heart  to  think  that  one  who,  although  not 
so  nearly  related  in  blood,  I  regarded  as  a  brother, 
should  have  betrayed  me  to  death.  My  mind  is 
troubled  indeed,  and  I  know  not  what  course  I  shall 
take,  whether  to  reveal  this  dreadful  secret  or  to 
conceal  it." 

"I  may  say,  madam,"  Walter  said  earnestly, 
"  that  should  you  wish  the  matter  to  remain  a  secret, 
you  may  rely  upon  it  that  I  will  tell  no  more  at  the 
trial  than  I  revealed  yesterday  ;  but  I  would  remind 
you  that  there  is  a  danger  that  the  leader  of  yon 
ri;fiaans,  who  is  probably  alone  acquainted  with  the 
name  of  his  employer,  may,  under  the  influence  of 
the  torture,  reveal  it." 

"  That  fear  is  for  the  present  past,  since  a  mes- 
senger arrived  from  Kingston  but  a  few  minutes 
since,  saying  that  yester-even,  under  the  threat  of 
torture,  the  prisoners  had  pointed  out  the  one 
among  their  number  who  was  their  chief.  This 
morning,  however,  it  was  found  that  the  warder 


60  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

who  had  charge  of  them  had  been  bribed;  he  was 
missing  from  his  post,  and  the  door  of  the  cell 
wherein  the  principal  villain  had  been  immured, 
apart  from  the  others,  was  opened,  and  he  had 
escaped." 

"  Then,''  Walter  said,  "  it  is  now  open  to  you  to 
speak  or  be  silent  as  you  will.  You  will  pardon  my 
forwardness  if  I  say  that  my  master,  in  talking  the 
matter  over  with  me,  suggested  that  this  evil  knight 
might  be  scared  from  attempting  any  future  enter- 
prise against  you  were  he  informed  that  it  was 
known  to  several  persons  that  he  was  the  author  of 
this  outrage,  and  that  if  any  further  attempts  were 
at  any  time  made  against  you,  the  proofs  of  his 
crime  would  be  laid  before  the  king." 

"Thanks,  good  lad,"  the  lady  said,  "for  your 
suggestion.  Should  I  decide  to  keep  the  matter 
secret,  I  will  myself  send  him  a  message  to  that 
effect,  in  such  guise  that  he  would  not  know  whence 
it  comes.  And  now,  I  would  fain  reward  you  for 
what  you  have  done  for  us;  and,"  she  went  on,  see- 
ing a  flush  suddenly  mount  upon  the  lad's  face  as  he 
made  a  half -step  backward,  "  before  I  saw  you,  had 
thought  of  offering  you  a  purse  of  gold,  which, 
although  it  would  but  poorly  reward  your  services, 
would  yet  have  proved  useful  to  you  when  the  time 
came  for  you  to  start  as  a  craftsman  on  your  own 
account;  but  now  that  I  have  seen  you,  I  feel  that 
although  there  are  few  who  think  themselves 
demeaned  by  accepting  gifts  of  money  in  reward 
for  services,  you  would  rather  my  gratitude  took 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND  61 

some  other  form.  It  can  only  do  that  of  offering 
you  such  good  services  that  I  can  render  with  Earl 
Talbot,  should  you  ever  choose  the  profession  of 
arms ;  and  in  the  mean  time,  as  a  memento  of  the 
lives  you  have  saved,  you  will,  I  am  sure,  not  refuse 
this  chain,"  and  she  took  a  very  handsome  one  of 
gold  from  her  neck,  "  the  more  so  since  it  was  the 
gift  of  her  majest}^,  our  gracious  queen,  to  myself. 
She  will,  I  am  sure,  acquit  me  of  parting  with  her 
gift  when  I  tell  her  that  I  transferred  it  to  one  who 
had  saved  the  lives  of  myself  and  my  daughter,  and 
who  was  too  proud  to  accept  other  acknowledg- 
ment." 

Coloring  deeply,  and  with  tears  in  his  eyes  at  the 
kindness  and  thoughtful  consideration  of  the  lady, 
Walter  knelt  on  one  knee  before  her,  and  she  placed 
round  his  neck  the  long  gold  chain  which  she  had 
been  wearing. 

"  It  is  a  knight's  chain,"  the  lady  said,  smiling, 
"and  was  part  of  the  spoil  gained  by  King  Edward 
from  the  French.  Maybe,"  she  added  kindly,  "  it 
will  be  worn  by  a  knight  again.  Stranger  things 
have  happened,  you  know." 

Walter  flushed  again  with  pleasure. 

"  Maybe,  lady,"  he  said  modestly,  "  even  appren- 
tices have  their  dreams,  and  men-at-arms  may 
always  hope,  by  deeds  of  valor,  to  attain  a  knight's 
spurs  even  though  they  may  not  be  of  noble  blood 
or  have  served  as  page  and  squire  to  a  baron;  but 
whether  as  a  'prentice  or  soldier,  I  hope  I  shall 
never  do  discredit  to  your  gift." 


63  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"  Edith,  come  here,"  Dame  Yernon  said,  "  I  have 
done  talking  now.  And  what  are  you  going  to 
give  this  brave  knight  of  ours  who  saved  us  from 
drowning  ?" 

The  girl  looked  thoughtfully  at  Walter.  "  I  don't 
think  you  would  care  for  presents,"  she  said  ;  "  and 
you  look  as  if  a  sword  or  a  horse  would  suit  you 
better  than  a  girl's  gift.  And  yet  I  should  like  to 
give  you  something,  such  as  ladies  give  their 
knights  who  have  done  brave  deeds  for  them. 
It  must  be  something  quite  my  own,  and  you  must 
take  it  as  a  keepsake.     What  shall  it  be,  mamma  ?" 

"  Give  him  the  bracelet  which  your  cousin  gave 
you  last  week,"  her  mother  said  ;  "  I  would  rather 
that  you  did  not  keep  it,  and  I  know  you  are  not 
very  fond  of  him." 

"  I  can't  bear  him,"  the  girl  said  earnestly,  "  and 
I  wish  he  would  not  kiss  me ;  he  always  looks  as  if 
he  were  going  to  bite,  and  I  will  gladly  give  his 
bracelet  to  this  brave  boy." 

"  Yery  well,  Edith,  fetch  the  bracelet  from  that 
coffer  in  the  corner." 

The  girl  went  to  the  coffer  and  brought  out  the 
little  bracelet ;  then  she  approached  Walter. 

"  You  must  go  down  on  your  knee,"  she  said ; 
"  true  knights  always  do  that  to  receive  their  lady's 
gifts.  Now  hold  out  your  hand.  There,"  she  went 
on  in  a  pretty  imperious  way,  "  take  this  gage  as  a 
reward  of  your  valor,  and  act  ever  as  a  true  knight 
in  the  service  of  your  lady." 

Bending  down  she  dropped  a  kiss  upon  Walter's 


8T,  GE0R9E  FOR  ENGLAND,  63 

glowing  cheek,  and  then,  half -frightened  at  her  own 
temerity,  ran  back  to  her  mother's  side. 

"  And  now,"  Dame  Yernon  went  on,  "  will  you 
thank  your  five  comrades  for  their  service  in  the 
matter,  and  give  them  each  two  gold  pieces  to  spend 
as  they  will  ?" 

"  He  is  a  noble  lad,"  Dame  Yernon  had  said  to 
herself  when  Walter  had  taken  his  leave.  "  Would 
he  had  been  the  son  of  one  of  the  nobles  of  the 
court!  It  might  have  been  then,  if  he  had  distin- 
guished himself  in  war,  as  he  would  surely  do,  that 
the  king  might  have  assigned  Edith  to  him.  As 
her  lord  and  guardian  he  is  certain  to  give  her 
hand  as  a  reward  for  valor  in  the  field,  and  it  may 
well  be  to  a  man  with  whom  she  would  be  less 
happy  than  with  this  'prentice  lad ;  but  there,  I 
need  not  be  troubling  myself  about  a  matter  which 
is  five  or  six  years  distant  yet.  Still,  the  thought 
that  Edith  is  a  w^ard  of  the  crown,  and  that  her 
hand  must  go  where  the  king  wills,  often  troubles 
me.  However,  I  have  a  good  friend  in  the  queen, 
who  will,  I  know,  exert  what  influence  she  has  in 
getting  me  a  good  husband  for  my  child.  But  even 
for  myself  I  have  some  fears,  since  the  king  hinted, 
when  last  he  saw  me,  that  it  was  time  I  looked  out 
for  another  mate,  for  that  the  vassals  of  Westerham 
and  Hyde  needed  a  lord  to  lead  them  in  the  field. 
However,  I  hope  that  my  answer  that  they  were 
always  at  his  service  under  the  leading  of  my 
Cousin  James  will  sufiice  for  him.  E'ow,  what  am 
I  to  do  in  that  matter  ?    Who  would  have  thought 


64  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

that  he  so  coveted  my  lands  that  he  would  have 
slain  me  and  Edith  to  possess  himself  of  them?  His 
own  lands  are  thrice  as  broad  as  mine,  though  men 
say  that  he  has  dipped  deeply  into  them  and  owes 
much  money  to  the  Jews.  He  is  powerful  and  has 
many  friends,  and  although  Earl  Talbot  would 
stand  by  me,  yet  the  unsupported  word  of  an 
apprentice  boy  were  but  poor  evidence  on  which  to 
charge  a  powerful  baron  of  such  a  crime  as  this.  It 
were  best,  methinks,  to  say  naught  about  it,  but  to 
bury  the  thought  in  ray  own  heart.  JSTevertheless, 
I  will  not  fail  to  take  the  precaution  which  the  lad 
advised,  and  to  let  Sir  James  know  that  there  are 
some  who  have  knowledge  of  his  handiwork.  I 
hear  he  crosses  the  seas  to-morrow  to  join  the  army, 
and  it  may  be  long  ere  he  return.  I  shall  have 
plenty  of  time  to  consider  how  I  had  best  shape  my 
conduct  toward  him  on  his  return  ;  but  assuredly 
he  shall  never  be  friendly  with  me  again  or  frighten 
Edith  with  his  kisses." 

"  Well,  Walter,  has  it  been  such  a  dreadful  busi- 
ness as  you  expected  ?"  the  armorer  asked  the  lad 
when  he  reentered  the  shop.  "  The  great  folks 
have  not  eaten  you,  at  any  rate." 

"It  has  not  been  dreadful,"  Walter  replied  with  a 
smile, "  though  I  own  that  it  was  not  pleasant  when 
I  first  arrived  at  the  great  mansion  ;  but  the  lady 
put  me  quite  at  my  ease,  and  she  talked  to  me  for 
some  time,  and  finally  she  bestowed  on  me  this 
chain,  which  our  lady,  the  queen,  had  herself  given 
her." 


ST.  GEOMGSI  iron  ENGLAND,  55 

"It  is  a  knight's  chain  and  a  heavy  one," 
Geoffrey  said,  examining  it,  "  of  Genoese  work,  I 
reckon,  and  worth  a  large  sum.  It  will  buy  you 
harness  when  you  go  to  the  wars.'- 

"  I  would  rather  light  in  the  thickest  melee  in  a 
cloth  doublet,"  Walter  said  indignantly,  "  than  part 
with  a  single  link  of  it." 

"  I  did  but  jest,  Walter,"  Geoffrey  said,  laughing  ; 
"  but  as  you  will  not  sell  it,  and  you  cannot  wear 
it,  you  had  best  give  it  me  to  put  aside  in  my 
strong  coffer  until  you  get  of  knightly  rank." 

"  Lady  Vernon  said,"  the  lad  replied,  "  that  she 
hoped  one  day  it  might  again  belong  to  a  knight ; 
and  if  I  live,"  he  added  firmly,  ''it  shall." 

"  Oh  !  she  has  been  putting  these  ideas  into  your 
head  ;  nice  notions  truly  for  a  London  apprentice ! 
I  shall  be  laying  a  complaint  before  the  lord  mayor 
against  Dame  Yernon,  for  unsettling  the  mind  of 
my  apprentice  and  setting  him  above  his  work. 
And  the  little  lady,  what  said  she?  Did  she 
give  you  her  colors  and  bid  you  wear  them  at  a 
tourney  ?" 

Walter  colored  hotly. 

"  Ah !  I  have  touched  you,"  laughed  the  armorer ; 
"  come  now,  out  with  the  truth.  My  lad,"  he  added 
more  gravely,  "  there  is  no  shame  in  it ;  you  know 
that  I  have  always  encouraged  your  wishes  to  be  a 
soldier,  and  have  done  my  best  to  render  you  as 
good  a  one  as  any  who  draws  sword  'neath  the 
king's  banner,  and  assuredly  I  would  not  have  taken 
all  these   pains  with  you  did  I  think  that  you  Tvere 


66  ST.  QEOBGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

always  to  wear  an  iron  cap  and  trail  a  pike.  I  too, 
lad,  hope  some  day  to  see  you  a  valiant  ki;ight, 
and  have  reasons  that  you  wot  not  of  for  my  belief 
that  it  will  be  so.  Ko  man  rises  to  rank  and  fame 
any  the  less  quickly  because  he  thinks  that  bright 
eyes  will  grow  brighter  at  his  success." 

"  But,  Geoffrey,  you  are  talking  surely  at  random. 
The  Lady  Edith  Yernon  is  but  a  child ;  a  very 
beautiful  child,"  he  added  reverently,  "  and  such 
that  when  she  grows  up  the  bravest  knight  in 
England  might  be  proud  to  win.  What  folly  for 
me,  the  son  of  a  city  bowyer,  and  as  yet  but  an 
apprentice,  to  raise  mine  eyes  so  high !  " 

"  The  higher  one  looks  the  higher  one  goes,"  the 
armorer  said  sententiously.  "  You  aspire  some  day 
to  become  a  knight,  you  may  well  aspire  also  to 
win  the  hand  of  Mistress  Edith  Yernon.  She  is 
five  years  younger  than  yourself,  and  you  will  be 
twenty-tw^o  when  she  is  seventeen.  You  have  time 
to  make  your  way  yet,  and  I  tell  you,  though  why  it 
matters  not^  that  I  would  rather  you  set  your  heart 
on  winning  Mistress  Edith  Yernon  than  any  other 
heiress  of  broad  lands  in  merry  England.  You  have 
saved  her  life,  and  so  have  made  the  first  step  and 
a  long  one.  Be  ever  brave,  gentle,  and  honorable, 
and,  I  tell  you,  you  need  not  despair  ;  and  now,  lad, 
we  have  already  lost  too  much  time  in  talking  ;  let 
us  to  our  work." 

That  evening  Walter  recalled  to  Geoffrey  his 
promise  to  tell  him  the  causes  which  had  involved 
England  in  so  long  and  bloody  a  war   with  France. 


ST,  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  97 

"  It  is  a  tangled  skein,"  Geoffrey  said,  "  and  you 
must  follow  me  carefully.  First,  with  a  piece  of 
chalk  I  will  draw  upon  the  wall  the  pedigree  of  the 
royal  line  of  France  from  Philip  downward,  and 
then  you  will  see  how  it  is  that  our  King  Edward 
and  Philip  of  Yalois  came  to  be  rival  claimants  to 
the  throne  of  France. 

Philip, 
King  of  France. 


I  I 

Philip  le  Bel,  Charles, 
King  of  France.  Count 

I  of  Valois. 


I  I  I  I  I 

Louis  Philip      Charles        Isabella,  Philip, 

LE  HUTIN.      le  Long.       le  Bel.  Queen  Count 

of  England,  of  Valois. 

I 
Edward  III. 

"  Now,  you  see  that  our  King  Edward  is  nephew  of 
Charles  le  Bel,  the  last  King  of  France,  while 
Philip  of  Yalois  is  only  nephew  of  Philip  le  Bel, 
the  father  of  Charles.  Edward  is  consequently  in 
the  direct  line,  and  had  Isabella  been  a  man  instead 
of  a  woman  his  right  to  the  throne  would  be  un- 
questionable. In  France,  however,  there  is  a  law, 
called  the  Salic  law,  which  excludes  females  from 
the  throne  ;  but  it  is  maintained  by  man}^  learned  in 
the  law,  that  although  a  female  is  held  to  be  incompe- 
tent to  reign  because  from  her  sex  she  cannot  lead 


68  ST.  GEORGE  FOB  SSNGLAND. 

her  armies  to  battle,  yet  she  no  way  forfeits  other, 
wise  her  rights,  and  that  her  son  is  therefore  the  heir 
to  the  throne.  If  this  contention,  which  is  held  by  all 
English  jurists,  and  by  many  in  France  also,  be  well 
founded,  Edward  is  the  rightful  King  of  France. 
Philip  of  Yalois  contends  that  the  Salic  law  not 
only  bars  a  female  from  ascending  the  throne,  but 
also  destroys  all  her  rights,  and  that  the  succession 
goes  not  to  her  sons,  but  to  the  next  heir  male  ;  in 
which  case,  of  course,  Philip  is  rightful  king.  It  is 
not  for  me  to  say  which  view  is  the  right  one,  but 
certainly  the  great  majority  of  those  who  have  been 
consulted  have  decided  that,  according  to  ancient 
law  and  usage,  the  right  lies  with  Edward.  But  in 
these  matters  ^  right  is  not  always  might.'  Had 
Isabella  married  a  French  noble  instead  of  an  English 
king  it  is  probable  that  her  son's  claims  to  the  throne 
would  have  been  allowed  without  dispute,  but  her 
son  is  King  of  England,  and  the  French  nobles 
prefer  being  ruled  by  one  of  themselves  to  becoming 
united  with  England  under  one  king. 

"  At  the  time  of  the  death  of  the  last  king,  Ed- 
ward was  still  but  a  boy  under  the  tuition  of  his 
mother,  Philip  was  a  man,  and  upon  the  spot,  there- 
fore he  was  able  to  win  support  by  his  presence  and 
promises,  and  so  it  came  that  the  peers  of  France 
declared  Philip  of  Yalois  to  be  their  rightful 
monarch.  Here  in  England,  at  a  parliament  held 
at  Northampton,  the  rights  of  Edward  were  dis- 
cussed and  asserted,  and  the  Bishops  of  Worcester 
and  Coventry  were  dispatched  to   Paris  to  protest 


ST.  QBOROE  FOR  ENGLAND,  69 

against  the  validit}^  of  Philip's  nomination.  As, 
however,  the  country  was  not  in  a  position  to 
enforce  the  claim  of  their  young  king  by  arms, 
Philip  became  firmly  seated  as  King  of  Prance, 
and  having  shown  great  energy  in  at  once  march- 
ing, against  and  repressing  the  people  of  Flanders, 
who  were  in  a  state  of  rebellion  against  their 
count,  one  of  the  feudatories  of  the  French  crown, 
the  nobles  were  well  satisfied  with  their  choice, 
and  no  question  as  to  his  right  was  ever  hence- 
forth raised  in  France.  As  soon  as  the  rebel- 
lion in  Flanders  was  crushed,  Philip  summoned 
the  King  of  England  to  do  homage  for  Aquitaine, 
Ponthieu,  and  Montreuil,  fiefs  held  absolutely  from 
the  crown  of  France.  Such  a  proceeding  placed 
Edward  and  his  council  in  a  great  embarrassment.  In 
case  of  a  refusal  the  whole  of  the  possessions  of  the 
crown  in  France  might  be  declared  forfeited  and  be 
seized,  while  England  Avas  in  no  condition  to  defend 
them  ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  fact  of  doing  homage 
to  Philip  of  Yalois  would  be  a  sort  of  recognition 
of  his  right  to  the  throne  he  had  assumed.  Had 
Edward  then  held  the  reins  of  power  in  his  hands, 
there  can  be  little  doubt  that  he  would  at  once  have 
refused,  and  would  have  called  out  the  whole 
strength  of  England  to  enforce  his  claim.  The  in- 
fluence of  Isabella  and  Mortimer  was,  however,  all- 
powerful,  and  it  was  agreed  that  Edward  should  do 
homage  as  a  public  act,  making  a  private  reserva- 
tion in  secret  to  his  own  councilors,  taking  excep- 
tion to  the  right  of  Philip. 


70  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"  Edward  crossed  to  France  and  journeyed  to 
Amiens,  where  Philip  with  a  brilliant  court  await- 
ed him,  and  on  the  appointed  day  they  appeared 
together  in  the  cathedral.  Here  Edward,  under 
certain  protestations,  did  homage  for  his  French 
estates,  leaving  certain  terms  and  questions  open 
for  the  consideration  of  his  council.  For  some  time 
the  matter  remained  in  this  shape ;  but  honest  men 
cannot  but  admit  that  King  Edward  did,  by  his 
action  at  the  time,  acknowledge  Philip  to  be  King 
of  France,  and  that  he  became  his  vassal  for  his 
estates  there ;  but,  as  has  happened  scores  of  times 
before,  and  will  no  doubt  happen  scores  of  times 
again,  vassals,  when  they  become  powerful  enough, 
throw  off  their  allegiance  to  their  feudal  superiors, 
and  so  the  time  came  to  King  Edward. 

"  After  the  death  of  Mortimer  and  the  imprison- 
ment of  Isabella,  the  king  gave  rein  to  his  taste  for 
military  sports.  Tournaments  were  held  at  Dart- 
ford  and  other  places,  one  in  Westcheape.  What  a 
sight  was  that,  to  be  sure !  For  three  days  the 
king,  with  fourteen  of  his  knights,  held  the  list 
against  all  comers,  and  in  the  sight  of  the  citizens 
and  the  ladies  of  the  court  jousted  with  knights 
who  came  hither  from  all  parts  of  Europe.  I  was 
there  each  day,  and  the  sight  was  a  grand  one, 
though  England  was  well-nigh  thrown  into  mourn- 
ing by  an  accident  which  took  place.  The  gallery 
in  which  the  queen  and  her  attendants  were  view- 
ing the  sports  had  been  badly  erected,  and  in  the 
height  of  the  contests  it  gave  way.     The  queen  and 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  71 

her  ladies  were  in  great  peril,  being  thrown  from  a 
considerable  height,  and  a  number  of  persons  were 
severely  injured.  The  king,  who  was  furious  at  the 
danger  to  which  the  queen  had  been  exposed,  would 
have  hung  upon  the  spot  the  master  workman 
whose  negligence  had  caused  the  accident,  but  the 
queen  went  on  her  knees  before  him  and  begged 
his  life  of  the  king.  The  love  of  Edward  for  war- 
like exercises  caused  England  to  be  regarded  as  the 
most  chivalrous  court  in  Europe,  and  the  frequent 
tournaments  aroused  to  the  utmost  the  spirits  of  the 
people  and  prepared  them  for  the  war  with  France. 
But  of  the  events  of  that  war  I  will  tell  ^''ou  some 
other  night.  It  is  time  now  for  us  to  betake  us  to 
our  beds." 


72  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE     CITY     GAMES. 


The  next  evening  the  armorer,  at  Walter's  re- 
quest, continued  his  narrative. 

^'  Soon  after  the  tournament  we  began  to  fight 
again  with  Scotland.  For  some  years  we  had  had 
peace  with  that  country,  and  under  the  regency  a 
marriage  was  made  between  David,  King  of  Scot- 
land, son  of  Robert  the  Bruce,  with  the  Princess 
Joan,  sister  to  our  king,  and  a  four  years'  truce  was 
agreed  to." 

"But  why  should  we  always  be  fighting  with 
Scotland  ?"  Walter  asked. 

"  That  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you,  Walter.  We 
were  peaceful  enough  with  them  until  the  days  of 
Edward  I. ;  but  he  set  up  some  claim  to  the  throne 
of  Scotland,  the  rights  of  which  neither  I  nor  any 
one  else,  so  far  as  I  know,  have  ever  been  able  to 
make  out.  The  fact  was  he  was  strong,  and 
thought  that  he  could  conquer  Scotland.  The 
quarrels  between  her  nobles — -most  of  them  were 
allied  by  blood  with  our  own  and  held  possessions 
in  both  kingdoms — gave  Edward  an  excuse  to  inter- 
fere.    Scotland  was  conquered  easily  enough,  but 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  73 

it  was  a  hard  task  to  hold  it.  Sir  William  Wallace 
kept  the  country  in  a  turmoil  for  many  years,  being 
joined  by  all  the  common  people.  He  inflicted  one 
heavy  defeat  upon  us  at  Stirling,  but  receiving  no 
support  from  the  nobles  he  was  defeated  at  Falkirk, 
and  some  years  afterward  was  captured  and  executed 
here.  His  head  you  may  see  any  day  over  London 
Bridge.  As  he  fought  only  for  his  country  and  had 
ever  refused  allegiance  to  our  king,  it  seems  to  me 
that  his  fate  was  a  cruel  one.  Then,  when  all  ap- 
peared quiet,  Eobert  Bruce  raised  Scotland  again 
and  was  crowned  king.  There  was  war  for  many 
years,  but  at  last,  at  Bannockburn,  he  inflicted  such 
a  defeat  upon  us  as  we  have  never  had  before. 
After  that  there  were  skirmishes  and  excursions, 
but  Edward  II.  w^s  a  weak  prince,  and  it  seemed 
that  the  marriage  of  David  and  the  Princess  Joan 
would  bring  about  a  permanent  peace  between  the 
two  countries;  but  it  was  not  to  be  so. 

"Many  of  the  English  nobles  held  claims  by 
marriage  or  grants  upon  lands  in  Scotland.  They 
had,  of  course,  been  driven  from  these  when  the 
English  were  turned  out  by  Bruce.  By  the  terms 
of  the  marriage  treaty  in  1328  it  was  agreed  that 
they  should  be  reinstated.  It  was  a  foolish  clause, 
because  it  was  plain  that  the  King  of  Scotland  could 
not  take  these  lands  again  from  the  Scotch  nobles 
who  had  possession  of  them,  many  of  them  being 
well-nigh  as  powerful  as  himself.  At  this  time 
Edward  Baliol,  son  of  the  great  rival  of  Eobert 
Bruce,  was  in  England,     He  still  claimed  the  throne 


74  8T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

of  Scotland  as  his  right.  Eound  him  gathered  a 
number  of  the  English  nobles  who  claimed  lands  in 
Scotland.  The  king  offered  no  hindrance  to  the 
gathering  of  this  force,  for  I  doubt  not  that  he  was 
glad  to  see  dissension  in  Scotland,  which  might 
give  him  some  such  pretext  for  interference  as  that 
which  Edward  I.  had  seized  to  possess  himself  of 
that  country.  At  first  Baliol  was  successful  and 
was  crowned  at  Scone,  but  he  was  presently  de- 
feated and  driven  out  of  Scotland.  The  Scots  now 
made  an  eruption  across  the  frontier  as  a  retaliation 
for  Edward's  having  permitted  Baliol  to  gather  a 
force  here  for  his  war  against  Bruce.  King  Ed- 
ward was  on  the  point  of  starting  for  Ireland,  and 
he  at  once  hastened  north.  He  defeated  the  Scots 
at  Halidon  Hill,  captured  Berwick,  and  placed 
Baliol  upon  the  throne.  Bruce  fled  to  France, 
where  he  was  supported  and  encouraged  by  the 
French  king. 

"  The  ill-feeling  between  Edward  and  Philip  of 
Yalois  had  gone  on  increasing  ever  since  the  former 
had  been  compelled  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance 
to  the  latter,  but  outwardly  the  guise  of  friendship 
was  kept  up,  and  negotiations  went  on  between  the 
two  courts  for  a  marriage  between  the  little  Prince 
of  Wales  and  Joanna,  daughter  of  the  French 
king. 

''  The  aid  which  Philip  gave  to  Bruce  increased 
the  bad  feeling,  and  Edward  retaliated  for  Philip's 
patronage  of  Bruce  by  receiving  with  the  greatest 
honor  and  courtesy  Kobert  of  Artois,  a  great  feuda- 


ST.  QEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND.  75 

tory  of  France,  who  had  been  banished  by  King 
Philip.     For  a  time,  although  both  countries  were 
preparing  for  war,  peace   was  not  broken,  as  Ed- 
ward's hands  were  full  in  Scotland,  where  Baliol 
having   bestowed   immense    possessions    upon   the 
English  nobles  who  had  assisted  him,  the  country 
again   rose  in  favor  of  Bruce.     During  the  three 
years  that  followed   King    Edward    was    obliged 
several  times  to  go  to  Scotland  to  support  Baliol, 
who  held  the  crown  as  his  feudal  vassal.     He  was 
always  successful  in  the  field,  but  directly  his  army 
recrossed  the  frontier  the  Scotch  rose  again.     In 
1330  a  new  crusade  was  preached,  and  in  October  of 
that  year   King  Philip  solemnly  received  the  cross 
and  collected  an  immense  army  nominally  for  the 
recovery   of  Jerusalem.     Whether   his    intentions 
were  honest  or  not  I  cannot  say,  but  certainly  King 
Edward  considered  that   Philip's  real  aim  in  creat- 
ing  so  great  an  army    was   to    attack    England. 
Whether  this  was  so  or  not  would  need  a  wiser 
head  than  mine,  Walter,  to  tell.     Certainly  Philip 
of  Yalois  invited  Edward  to  cooperate  with  him  in 
the  crusade.     The  king  in  reply  stated  his  belief 
that  the  preparations   were  intended  for  war  in 
Europe  rather  than  in  Asia  ;  but  that  if  the   King 
of  France  would  agree  to  conclude  a  firm  league  of 
amity  between  the  two  countries,  to  restore  the 
castles  and  towns  of  Aquitaine,  whose   surrender 
had  been  frequently  promised,  but  never  carried  out, 
and  would  bind  himself  by  oath  to  give  no  assist- 
ance, direct  or  indirect,  to  Scotland,  he  would  join 
him  in  his  war  for  the  delivery  of  the  Holy  Land, 


76  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"  I  must  say  that  King  Edward's  demands  were 
reasonable,  for  it  was  clear  that  he  could  not  march 
away  from  England  with  his  whole  force  and  leave 
Baliol  unsupported  against  the  assaults  of  his  Scotch 
enemies,  aided  by  France.  Philip  was  willing  to 
accede  to  the  first  two  conditions  ;  but  in  regard  to 
the  third  positively  declined  treating  until  David 
Bruce  should  be  restored  to  the  throne  of  his  father. 
Now,  had  the  French  king  openly  supported  Bruce 
from  the  first,  none  could  have  said  that  his  conduct 
in  befriending  a  dethroned  monarch  was  aught  but 
noble  and  generous ;  but  he  had  all  along  answered 
Edward's  complaints  of  the  aid  afforded  by  French- 
men to  the  Bruce  by  denials  that  he  himself  sup- 
ported him  ;  and  this  declaration  in  his  favor  now 
certainly  seemed  to  show  that  he  had  at  last  deter- 
mined openly  to  throw  off  the  veil,  and  that  his 
great  army  was  really  collected  against  England. 
Kobert  of  Artois  craftily  seized  a  moment  when  the 
king's  indignation  against  Philip  was  at  the  highest. 
At  a  great  banquet  held  by  King  Edward,  at  which 
all  his  warlike  nobles  were  present,  Robert  entered, 
preceded  by  two  noble  maidens  carrying  a  heron, 
which,  as  you  know,  Walter,  is  considered  the  most 
cowardly  of  birds.  Then  in  loud  tones  he  called 
upon  the  knights  present  each  to  swear  on  the  bird 
to  perform  some  deed  of  chivalrous  daring.  First 
he  presented  it  to  King  Edward  himself,  giving  him 
to  understand  that  he  regarded  him  but  as*little 
braver  than  the  heron  for  resigning  without  a  blow 
the  fair  heritage  of  France. 


ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  77 

"  The  moment  was  well  chosen,  for  Edward  was 
smarting  under  the  answer  he  had  just  received 
from  Philip.  He  at  once  rose  and  took  an  oath  to 
enter  France  in  arms ;  to  wait  there  a  month  in 
order  to  give  Philip  time  to  offer  him  battle,  and  to 
accept  the  combat,  even  should  the  French  out- 
number him  ten  to  one.  Every  knight  present  fol- 
lowed the  example  of  the  king,  and  so  the  war  with 
France,  which  had  been  for  years  a  mere  question 
of  time,  was  at  last  suddenly  decided  upon.  You 
yourself,  Walter,  can  remember  the  preparations 
which  were  made  throughout  England :  men  were 
enrolled  and  arms  prepared.  We  armorers  were 
busy  night  and  day,  and  ever}^  man  felt  that  his 
own  honor,  as  well  as  that  of  the  country,  was  con- 
cerned in  winning  for  King  Edward  the  heritage  of 
which  he  had  been  unlawfully  robbed  by  the  King 
of  France. 

"  On  the  17th  of  March,  1337,  at  the  parliament 
at  Westminster,  the  king  created  the  little  prince, 
then  seven  years  of  age,  Duke  of  Cornwall ;  and 
the  prince  immediately,  in  exercise  of  his  new 
dignity,  bestowed  upon  twenty  of  the  most  distin- 
guished aspirants  the  honor  of  knighthood.  Immense 
supplies  were  voted  by  the  parliaments  held  at 
Nottingham,  Westminster,  and  ^Northampton.  Half 
the  wool  shorn  in  the  summer  following  was  granted 
to  the  king,  with  a  variety  of  other  taxes,  customs, 
and  duties.  The  revenues  of  all  the  foreign  priories 
in  England,  a  hundred  and  ten  in  number,  were 
appropriated  to  the  crown.     Provisions  of  bacon, 


78  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

wheat,  and  oats  were  granted,  and  the  king  pawned 
his  own  jewels,  and  even  the  crown  itself,  to  hire 
soldiers  and  purchase  him  allies  on  the  Continent. 
So  great  did  the  scarcity  of  money  become  in  the 
country  that  all  goods  fell  to  less  than  half  their 
value.  Thus  a  vast  army  was  raised,  and  with 
this  King  Edward  prepared  to  try  his  strength  with 
France. 

"  Philip  on  his  part  was  making  great  prepara- 
tions. While  Edward  had  purchased  the  assistance 
of  many  of  the  German  nobles  Philip  raised  large 
armaments  in  the  maritime  states  of  Italy.  Spain 
also  contributed  a  number  of  naval  adventurers,  and 
squadrons  were  fitted  out  by  his  vassals  on  the  sea- 
coasts  of  Normandy,  Brittany,  and  Picardy.  King 
Edward  had  crossed  over  into  Belgium,  and  after 
vast  delays  in  consequence  of  the  slowness  of  the 
German  allies,  at  last  prepared  to  enter  France  at 
the  end  of  September,  1339.  Such,  my  lad,  is  the 
story,  as  far  as  I  know,  of  the  beginning  of  that  war 
with  France  which  is  now  raging,  and  whose  events 
you  know  as  well  as  I  do,  seeing  that  they  are  all  of 
late  occurrence.  So  far,  although  the  English  have 
had  the  best  of  it,  and  have  sorely  mauled  the 
French  both  in  the  north  and  south,  we  have  not 
gained  any  such  advantages  as  would  lead  to  a  be- 
lief that  there  is  any  likelihood  of  an  early  termina- 
tion, or  that  King  Edward  will  succeed  for  a  long 
time  in  winning  back  his  inheritance  of  the  throne 
of  France. 

"  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  war  weighs  heavily 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  79 

upon  the  people  at  large.  The  taxes  are  doubled, 
and  the  drain  of  men  is  heavy.  We  armorers,  of 
course,  have  a  busy  time  of  it,  and  all  trades  which 
have  to  do  with  the  furnishing  of  an  army  flourish 
exceedingly.  Moreover,  men  of  metal  and  valor 
have  an  opportunity  of  showing  what  they  are  com- 
posed of,  and  England  rings  with  the  tales  of  mar- 
tial deeds.  There  are  some,  Walter,  who  think  that 
peace  is  the  greatest  of  blessings,  and  in  some  ways, 
lad,  they  are  no  doubt  right;  but  there  are  many 
compensations  in  war.  It  brings  out  the  noble 
qualities ;  it  raises  men  to  think  that  valor  and 
fortitude  and  endurance  and  honor  are  qualities 
which  are  something  above  the  mere  huckstering 
desire  for  getting  money,  and  for  ignoble  ease  and 
comfort.  Some  day  it  may  be  that  the  world  will 
change,  and  that  war  may  become  a  thing  of  the 
past ;  but  to  my  mind,  boy,  I  doubt  whether  men 
will  be  any  happier  or  better  for  it.  The  priests, 
no  doubt,  would  tell  you  otherwise  ;  but  then  you 
see  I  am  an  armorer,  and  so  perhaps  am  hardly  a 
fair  judge  on  the  matter,  seeing  that  without  wars 
my  craft  would  come  to  an  end." 

Walter  remained  in  thought  for  some  time.  "  It 
seems  to  me.  Master  Geoffrey,  that  while  wars  may 
suit  strong  and  courageous  men,  women  would  re- 
joice were  such  things  to  be  at  an  end." 

"  Women  suffer  most  from  wars,  no  doubt," 
Geoffrey  said,  "  and  yet  do  you  mark  that  they  are 
more  stirred  by  deeds  of  valor  and  chivalry  than 
are  we  men ;  that  they  are  ever  ready  to  bestow 


80  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

their  love  upon  those  who  have  won  honor  and 
glory  in  war,  even  although  the  next  battle  may 
leave  them  widows.  This  has  been  always  some- 
what of  a  marvel  to  me ;  but  I  suppose  that  it  is 
human  nature,  and  that  admiration  for  deeds  of 
valor  and  bravery  is  ingrained  in  the  heart  of  man, 
and  will  continue  until  such  times  come  that  the 
desire  for  wealth,  which  is  ever  on  the  increase,  has 
so  seized  all  men  that  they  will  look  with  distaste 
upon  everything  which  can  interfere  with  the 
making  of  money,  and  will  regard  the  man  who 
amasses  gold  by  trading  as  a  higher  type  than  he 
who  does  vaKant  deeds  in  battle." 

"  Surely  that  can  never  be,"  Walter  said  indig- 
nantly. 

"  There  is  no  saying,"  the  armorer  answered;  "  at 
any  rate,  Walter,  it  will  matter  little  to  you  or  to 
me,  for  many  generations  must  pass  before  such  a 
state  of  things  can  come  about." 

Two  days  later  Walter,  who  had  been  across  into 
the  city,  returned  in  a  state  of  excitement. 

"  What  do  you  think,  Geoffrey?  The  king,  with 
the  Prince  of  Wales  and  all  his  court,  are  coming  to 
the  games  next  month.  They  say  that  the  king 
himself  will  adjudge  the  prizes,  and  there  is  to  be  a 
grand  assault-at-arms  between  ten  of  the  'prentices 
with  a  captain,  and  an  equal  number  of  sons  of 
nobles  and  knights." 

"That  will  be  rare,"  Geoffrey  Ward  exclaimed  ; 
"but  there  will  be  some  broken  limbs,  and  maybe 
worse.     These  assaults-at-arms  seldom  end  without 


8T,  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND,  81 

two  or  three  being  killed.  However,  you  young- 
sters will  not  hit  as  hard  as  trained  knights;  and  if 
the  armor  be  good,  no  great  damage  should  be 
done." 

"  Do  you  think  that  I  shall  be  one  of  the  ten  ?" 
Walter  asked  anxiously. 

"  Just  as  if  you  did  not  know  you  would,"  Geoffrey 
replied,  laughing.  "  Did  you  not  win  the  prize  for 
sword-play  last  year  ?  and  twelve  months  have  added 
much  to  the  strength  of  your  arm,  to  say  nothing  of 
your  skill  with  weapons.  If  you  win  this  year 
again — and  it  will  be  strange  if  you  do  not — you 
are  like  enough  to  be  chosen  captain.  You  will 
have  tough  fighting,  I  can  tell  you,  for  all  these 
3^oung  aspirants  to  knighthood  will  do  their  best  to 
show  themselves  off  before  the  king  and  queen. 
The  fight  is  not  to  take  place  on  horseback,  I  hope ; 
for  if  so,  it  will  be  settled  as  soon  as  it  begins." 

"  E"o,  it  is  to  be  on  foot ;  and  the  king  himself  is 
to  give  orders  as  to  the  fighting." 

"  You  had  best  get  out  that  helmet  and  coat  of 
mail  of  yours,"  Geoffrey  said.  "  I  warrant  me  that 
there  will  be  none  of  finer  make  or  truer  metal  in 
the  tourney,  seeing  that  I  made  them  specially  for 
you.  They  are  light,  and  yet  strong  enough  to 
withstand  a  blow  from  the  strongest  arm.  I  tried 
them  hard,  and  will  warrant  them  proof,  but  you 
had  best  see  to  the  rivets  and  fastenings.  They  had 
a  rough  handling  last  year,  and  you  have  not  worn 
them  since.  There  are  some  other  pieces  that  I 
must  put  in  hand  at  once,  seeing  that  in  such  a 
melee  you  must  be  covered  from  head  to  foot." 


82  ST,  GEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

For  the  next  week  nothing  was  talked  of  in 
London  but  the  approaching  sports,  and  the  work- 
men were  already  engaged  in  the  erection  of  the 
lists  and  pavilions  in  the  fields  between  the  walls 
and  Westminster.  It  was  reported  that  the  king 
would  add  valuable  prizes  to  those  given  to  the  win- 
ners by  the  city,  that  there  would  be  jousting  on 
horseback  by  the  sons  of  the  court  nobles,  and  that 
the  young  Prince  of  Wales  would  himself  ride. 

The  king  had  once  before  taken  part  in  the  city 
sports,  and  with  ten  of  the  citizens  had  held  his  own 
against  an  equal  number  of  knights.  This  was  at 
the  commencement  of  his  reign;  but  the  accident 
to  the  queen's  stand  had  so  angered  him  that  he 
had  not  again  been  present  at  the  sports,  and  his 
reappearance  now  was  considered  to  be  an  act  of 
approval  of  the  efforts  which  the  city  had  made  to 
aid  him  in  the  war,  and  as  an  introduction  of  the 
young  prince  to  the  citizens. 

When  the  day  arrived  there  was  a  general  flock- 
ing out  of  the  citizens  to  the  lists.  The  scene  was  a 
picturesque  one  ;  the  weather  was  bright  and  warm  ; 
the  fields  were  green ;  and  Westminster,  as  well  as 
London,  sent  out  large  numbers  to  the  scene.  The 
citizens  were  all  in  their  best ;  their  garmenis  were 
for  the  most  part  of  sober  colors — russet,  murrey, 
brown,  and  gray.  Some,  indeed,  of  the  younger 
and  wealthier  merchants  adopted  somewhat  of  the 
fashion  of  the  court,  wearing  their  shoes  long  and 
pointed  and  their  garments  parti-colored.  The 
line  of  division  was  down  the  center  of  the  body 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND,  83 

one  leg,  arm,  and  half  the  body  would  be  blue,  the 
other  half  russet  or  brown.  The  ladies'  dresses 
were  similarly  divided.  Mingling  with  the  citizens, 
as  they  strolled  to  and  fro  upon  the  sward,  were 
the  courtiers.  These  wore  the  brightest  colors,  and 
their  shoes  were  so  long  that  the  points  were  looped 
up  to  the  knees  with  little  gold  chains  to  enable 
them  to  walk.  The  ladies  wore  head-dresses  of 
prodigious  height,  culminating  in  two  points;  and 
from  these  fell,  sweeping  to  the  ground,  streamers 
of  silk  or  lighter  material.  Cloths  of  gold  and 
silver,  rich  furs,  silks,  and  velvets  were  worn  both 
by  men  and  women. 

None  who  saw  the  nobles  of  the  court  walking  in 
garments  so  tight  that  they  could  scarce  move,  with 
their  long  parti-colored- hose,  their  silk  hoods  but- 
toned under  the  chin,  their  hair  braided  down  their 
back,  would  have  thought  that  these  were  the  most 
warlike  and  courageous  of  knights,  men  whose 
personal  prowess  and  gallantry  were  the  admiration 
of  Europe.  Their  hair  was  generally  cut  close  upon 
the  forehead,  and  the  beard  was  suffered  to  grow, 
but  was  kept  trimmed  a  moderate  length.  Many 
of  the  ladies  had  the  coat  of  arms  of  their  family 
embroidered  upon  their  dresses,  giving  them  the 
appearance  of  heralds'  tabards.  Almost  all  wore 
gold  or  silver  girdles,  with  embroidered  pouches, 
and  small  daggers. 

Thus  the  appearance  of  the  crowd  who  moved 
about  among  the  fields  near  the  lists  was  varied  and 
brilliant  indeed.      Their  demeanor  was  quiet,  for 


84  ST.  OEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

the  London  merchants  deemed  a  grave  demeanor 
to  belong  to  their  calling  and  the  younger  men  and 
apprentices  restrained  their  spirits  in  the  presence 
of  their  superiors.  For  their  special  amusement, 
and  in  order,  perhaps,  to  keep  them  from  jostling 
too  freely  against  the  court  gallants  and  ladies,  the 
city  authorities  had  appointed  popular  sports  such 
as  pleased  the  rougher  classes  ;  and  bull-baiting, 
cock-fighting,  wrestling  for  a  ram,  pitching  the  bar, 
and  hand-ball,  were  held  in  a  field  some  distance 
away.  Here  a  large  portion  of  the  artisans  and 
apprentices  amused  themselves  until  the  hour  when 
the  king  and  queen  were  to  arrive  at  their  pavilion 
and  the  contests  were  to  commence. 

Presently  a  sound  of  trumpets  was  heard,  and 
the  royal  procession  was  seen  moving  up  from 
Westminster.  Then  the  minor  sports  were  aban- 
doned ;  the  crowd  gathered  round  the  large  fenced- 
in  space,  and  those  who,  b}^  virtue  of  rank  or 
position  in  the  city,  had  places  in  the  various  stands, 
took  their  places  there. 

There  was  a  flourish  of  trumpets  as  the  king  and 
queen  appeared  in  front  of  their  pavilion,  accom- 
panied by  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  many  of  the 
nobles  of  the  court,  and  a  shout  of  welcome  arose 
from  the  crowd.  The  shooting  at  a  mark  at  once 
began.  The  preliminary  trials  had  been  shot  off 
upon  the  preceding  day,  and  the  six  chosen  bowmen 
now  took  their  places. 

Walter  had  not  entered  for  the  prizes  at  archery. 
He  had  on  previous  years  shot  well ;  but  since  he 


8T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  85 

had  fully  determined  to  become  a  man-at-arms  he 
had  given  up  archery,  for  which,  indeed,  his  work 
at  the  forge  and  his  exercises  at  arms  when  the  fires 
were  out  left  him  but  little  time.  The  contest  was 
a  close  one,  and  when  it  was  over  the  winner  was 
led  by  the  city  marshal  to  the  royal  pavilion,  where 
the  queen  bestowed  upon  him  a  silver  arrow,  and 
the  king  added  a  purse  of  money.  Then  there  were 
several  combats  with  quarter-staff  and  broadsword 
between  men  who  had  served  among  the  contin- 
gents sent  by  the  city  to  aid  the  king  in  his  wars. 
Some  good  sword-play  was  shown  and  many  stout 
blows  exchanged,  two  or  three  men  were  badly 
hurt,  and  the  king  and  all  present  were  mightily 
pleased  with  the  stoutness  with  which  they  fought. 

The  apprentices  then  came  forward  to  compete 
for  the  prizes  for  sword-play.  They  wore  light 
iron  caps  and  shirts  of  thickly  quilted  leather,  and 
fought  with  blunted  swords,  for  the  city  fathers 
deemed  wisely  that  with  these  weapons  they  could 
equally  show  their  skill,  and  that  with  sharpened 
swords  not  only  would  severe  wounds  be  given,  but 
bad  blood  would  be  created  between  the  apprentices 
of  the  various  wards.  Each  ward  sent  its  champion 
to  the  contest,  and  as  these  fought  in  pairs,  loud 
was  the  shouting  which  rose  from  their  comrades 
at  each  blow  given  or  warded,  and  even  the  older 
citizens  joined  sometimes  in  the  shouting  and  took 
a  warm  interest  in  the  champions  of  their  respective 
wards. 

The  iron  caps  had  stout  cheek-pieces  which  de- 


86  ST.  OEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

fended  the  sides  of  the  face  and  neck,  for  even  a  blunt- 
ed sword  can  deliver  a  terrible  blow  if  it  fall  upon 
the  naked  flesh.  It  took  a  long  time  to  get  through 
the  combats ;  the  pairs  were  drawn  by  lot  and 
fought  until  the  king  decided  which  was  the  supe- 
rior. Some  were  speedily  beaten;  at  other  times 
the  contests  were  long  and  severe.  It  was  gen- 
erally thought  by  the  apprentices  that  the  final 
contest  lay  between  Walter  Fletcher  of  Aldgate 
and  Ralph  Smith  of  Ludgate.  The  former  was 
allowed  to  be  superior  in  the  use  of  his  weapon,  but 
the  latter  was  also  skillful,  was  two  years  older, 
and  greatly  superior  in  strength.  He  had  not  taken 
part  in  the  contest  in  the  preceding  year,  as  he  had 
been  laid  up  with  a  hurt  in  his  hand  which  he  had 
got  in  his  employment  as  a  smith,  and  the  lads  of 
Ludgate  were  confident  that  he  would  turn  the 
tables  upon  the  champion  of  the  eastern  ward. 
Both  had  defeated  with  ease  the  various  opponents 
whom  they  had  met,  but  it  chanced  that  they  had 
not  drawn  together  until  the  last  round,  when  they 
remained  alone  to  struggle  for  the  first  and  second 
prizes. 

The  interest  in  the  struggle  had  increased  with 
each  round,  and  wagers  were  freely  laid  upon  the 
result.  According  to  custom  the  two  champions 
had  laid  aside  their  leathern  shirts  and  had  donned 
mail  armor,  for  it  was  considered  that  the  crown- 
ing contest  between  the  two  picked  young  swords- 
men of  the  city  would  be  a  severe  one,  and  greater 
protection  to  the  limbs  was  needed. 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  87 

Before  taking  their  places  they  were  led  up  to 
the  royal  pavilion,  where  they  were  closely  inspected 
by  the  king  and  his  nobles. 

"  You  are  sure  that  this  man  is  still  an  apprentice?" 
the  king  asked  the  lord  mayor,  who  was  seated 
next  to  him ;  "  he  has  the  appearance  of  a  man-at- 
arms,  and  a  stout  one  too ;  the  other  is  a  likely 
stripling,  and  is,  as  I  have  seen,  marvelously  dex- 
terous with  his  sword,  but  he  is  but  a  boy  while  the 
other  is  a  grown  man." 

"He  is  an  apprentice,  my  liege,  although  his 
time  will  be  up  in  a  few  days,  while  the  other  has 
yet  three  years  to  serve,  but  he  works  for  an  ar- 
morer, and  is  famed  through  the  city,  boy  as  he  is, 
for  his  skill  with  weapons." 

After  a  few  words  to  each,  exhorting  them  to  do 
their  best  in  the  sight  of  the  queen  and  her  ladies, 
the  king  dismissed  them. 

"  1  know  the  young  one  now  !"  the  Prince  of 
Wales  said,  clapping  his  hands  as  the  apprentices 
turned  away  to  take  their  places.  '^  My  Lord  Tal- 
bot, I  will  wager  a  gold  chain  with  you  upon  the 
smaller  of  the  two." 

"I  will  take  your  wager,"  the  noble  answered  ; 
"  but  I  am  by  no  means  sure  that  I  shall  win  it,  for 
I  have  watched  your  champion  closely,  and  the 
downright  blows  which  he  struck  would  seem  to 
show  that  he  has  the  muscle  and  strength  of  a  man, 
though  still  but  a  boy.*" 

The  event  justified  the  Prince  of  Wales'  con- 
fidence ;  at  the  commencement  of  the  struggle  Kalph 


88  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  El^  GLAND. 

Smith  tried  to  beat  clown  his  opponent  by  sheer 
strength  as  he  had  done  his  prior  opponents,  but  to 
his  surprise  he  found  that  all  his  efforts  could  not 
break  down  his  opponent's  guard.  Walter  indeed 
did  not  appear  to  take  advantage  of  his  superior 
lightness  and  activity,  but  to  prefer  to  prove  that  in 
strength  as  well  as  skill  he  was  equal  to  his  antag- 
onist. In  the  latter  respect  there  was  no  compari- 
son, for  as  soon  as  the  smith  began  to  relax  his  rain 
of  blows  Walter  took  the  offensive  and  with  a 
sweeping  blow,  given  with  all  his  strength,  broke 
down  his  opponent's  guard  and  smote  him  with  such 
force  upon  his  steel  cap  that,  blunted  as  the  sword 
was,  it  clove  through  the  iron,  and  stretched  the 
smith  senseless  on  the  ground.  A  loud  shout  broke 
from  the  assemblage.  The  marshal  came  up  to 
Walter,  and  removing  his  helmet,  led  him  to  the 
royal  pavilion,  while  Ralph  was  carried  to  a  tent 
near,  where  a  leech  attended  to  his  wound. 


ST.  aEORQE  FOB  ENGLAND,  89 


CHAPTEE'YI. 


THE  MELEE. 


"  You  have  won  your  prize  stoutly  and  well,  sir 
'prentice,"  the  king  said.  "I  should  not  have 
deemed  it  possible  that  one  of  your  age  could  have 
smitten  such  a  blow,  and  right  glad  should  I  be  of 
a  few  hundred  lads  of  your  mettle  to  follow  me 
against  the  French.     What  is  your  calling?" 

"  I  am  an  armorer,  my  liege,"  Walter  answered. 

"  An  you  are  as  good  at  mending  armor  as  you 
are  at  marring  it,"  the  king  said,  "  you  will  be  a  rare 
craftsman  one  of  these  days.  'Tis  a  rare  pity  so 
promising  a  swordsman  should  be  lost  to  our  army. 
Wouldst  like  to  change  your  calling,  boy,  and  take 
to  that  of  arms  ?" 

"  It  is  my  hope  to  do  so,  sir,"  Walter  answered 
modestly,  "  and  his  grace  the  Prince  of  Wales  has 
already  promised  me  that  I  shall  some  day  ride 
behind  him  to  the  wars." 

"  Ah !  Edward,"  the  king  ejaculated,  '*  how  is  this  ? 
Have  you  been  already  enlisting  a  troop  for  the 
wars  ?" 

"  No,  sir,"  the  young  prince  replied,  "  but  one 
day,  now  some  four  years  since,  when  I  was  riding 
with  my   Lord   Talbot   and  others   in   the    fields 


90  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

near  the  Tower,  I  did  see  this  lad  lead  his  play- 
fellows to  the  assault  of  an  earthen  castle  held 
by  others,  and  he  fought  so  well  and  gallantly 
that  assuredly  no  knight  could  have  done  better, 
until  he  was  at  last  stricken  senseless,  and  when  he 
recovered  I  told  him  that  should  he  choose  to  be  a 
man-at-arms  I  would  enlist  him  in  my  following  to 
the  wars." 

The  king  laughed. 

"  I  deemed  not  that  the  lads  of  the  city  indulged 
in  such  rough  sports;  but  I  wonder  not,  seeing 
that  the  contingent  which  my  good  city  of  London 
furnishes  me  is  ever  one  of  the  best  in  my  army. 
"We  shall  see  the  lad  at  work  again  to-morrow  and 
will  then  talk  more  of  it.  Now  let  us  bestow  upon 
him  the  prize  that  he  has  so  well  earned." 

Walter  bent  on  one  knee,  and  the  queen  handed 
to  him  a  sword  of  the  best  Spanish  steel,  which 
was  the  prize  given  by  the  city  to  the  victor.  The 
king  handed  him  a  heavy  purse  of  gold  pieces, 
saying : 

"  This  may  aid  in  purchasing  your  freedom." 

Walter  bowed  deeply  and  murmured  some  words 
of  thanks,  and  was  then  led  off  by  the  marshal. 
After  this  many  of  the  young  nobles  of  the  court 
jousted  on  horseback,  ran  at  the  ring,  and  performed 
other  feats  of  knightly  exercise  to  the  great  pleasure 
of  the  multitude.  The  marshal  on  leading  Walter 
away  said  to  him,  "  You  will  be  captain  of  the  ciiy 
band  to-morrow,  and  I  must  therefore  tell  you  what 
the  king  purports.     He  has  prepared  a  surprise  for 


ST.  GEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND.  91 

the  citizens,  and  the  present  show  will  be  different 
to  anything  ever  before  seen  in  London.  Both  to 
show  them  somewhat  of  the  sieges  which  are  taking 
place  on  the  borders  of  France  and  the  Low  Coun- 
tries, in  which  Sir  Walter  Manny  and  many  other 
gallant  knights  have  so  greatly  distinguished  them- 
selves, and  as  an  exercise  for  the  young  nobles  he 
has  determined  that  there  shall  be  a  castle  erected. 
It  will  be  built  of  wood,  with  battlements  and 
towers,  with  a  moat  outside.  As  soon  as  the  lists 
are  over  a  large  number  of  workmen  will  commence 
its  erection  ;  the  pieces  are  all  sawn  and  prepared. 
There  will  be  machines,  ladders,  and  other  appli- 
ances. The  ten  champions  on  either  side  will  fight 
as  knights  ;  you  will  have  a  hundred  apprentices 
as  men-at-arms,  and  the  court  party  will  have  an 
equal  number  of  young  esquires.  You,  as  winner 
of  to-day's  tourney,  will  have  the  choice  of  defense 
or  attack.  I  should  advise  you  to  take  the  defense, 
since  it  is  easier  and  requires  less  knowledge  of  war, 
and  many  of  the  other  party  have  accompanied 
their  fathers  and  masters  in  the  field  and  have  seen 
real  sieges  carried  out." 

"  Can  you  show  me  a  plan  of  the  castle,"  Walter 
said,  "  if  it  be  not  contrary  to  the  rules,  in  order 
that  I  may  think  over  to-night  the  plan  of  fighting 
to-morrow  ?" 

"  Here  it  is,"  the  marshal  said.  "  You  see  the 
walls  are  two  hundred  feet  long  and  twelve  feet  in 
height,  with  a  tower  at  the  end  and  one  over  the 
gateway  in  the  center  six  feet  high.     There  is  a 


9^  l^T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

drawbridge  defended  by  an  outwork  of  palisades 
six  feet  high.  The  moat  will  be  a  dry  one,  seeing 
that  we  have  no  means  of  filling  it  with  water,  but 
it  will  be  supposed  to  be  full,  and  must  be  crossed 
on  planks  or  bridges.  Two  small  towers  on  wheels 
will  be  provided,  which  may  be  run  up  to  the  edge 
of  the  moat,  and  will  be  as  high  as  the  top  of  the 
towers." 

"  Surely  they  cannot  make  all  this  before  morn- 
ing?" Walter  said. 

"  They  will  do  so,"  the  marshal  replied.  "  The 
castle  has  been  put  together  in  the  king's  court- 
yard, and  the  pieces  are  all  numbered.  Two  hun- 
dred carpenters  will  labor  all  night  at  it,  besides  a 
party  of  laborers  for  the  digging  of  the  moat.  It 
will  be  a  rare  show,  and  will*  delight  both  the  citi- 
zens and  the  ladies  of  the  court,  for  such  a  thing 
has  never  before  been  attempted.  But  the  king 
grudges  not  the  expense  which  it  will  cost  him, 
seeing  that  spectacles  of  this  kind  do  much  to  arouse 
the  warlike  spirit  of  the  people.  Here  is  a  list  of 
the  various  implements  which  will  be  provided, 
only  it  is  understood  that  the  mangonels  and  arblasts 
will  not  be  provided  with  missiles,  seeing  that  many 
would  assuredly  be  killed  by  them  They  will  be 
employed,  however,  to  show  the  nature  of  the  work, 
and  parties  of  men-at-arms  will  be  told  off  to  serve 
them.  Cross-bows  and  arrows  will  be  used,  but  the 
weapons  will  be  blunted.  You  will  see  that  there 
are  ladders,  planks  for  making  bridges,  long  hooks 
for  hauling  men   down  from  the  wall,  beams  for 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND  93 

battering  down  the  gate,  axes  for  cutting  down  the 
palisades,  and  all  other  weapons.  The  ten  who  will 
serve  under  you  as  knights  have  already  been  nom- 
inated, and  the  city  will  furnish  them  with  full 
armor.  For  the  others,  the  apprentices  of  each 
ward  will  choose  sufficient  representatives  to  make 
up  the  hundred  who  will  fight  as  men-at-arms ; 
these  will  wear  steel  caps  and  breast-pieces,  with 
leather  jerkins,  and  vizors  to  protect  their  faces,  for 
even  a  blunted  arrow  or  a  wooden  quarrel  might 
well  kill  if  it  struck  true." 

On  leaving  the  marshal  Walter  joined  Giles 
Fletcher  and  Geoffrey  Ward,  who  warmly  con- 
gratulated him  upon  his  success.  He  informed 
them  of  the  spectacle  which  the  king  had  prepared 
for  the  amusement  of  the  citizens  on  the  morrow. 

"In  faith,"  Geoffrey  said,  "  the  idea  is  a  good  one, 
and  promises  rare  sport,  but  it  will  be  rough,  and 
we  may  expect  many  broken  limbs,  for  it  will  be 
no  joke  to  be  thrown  down  with  a  ladder  from  a 
wall  even  twelve  feet  high,  and  there  will  be  the 
depth  of  the  moat  besides." 

"That  will  only  be  two  feet,"  Walter  said,  "for 
so  it  is  marked  on  the  plan." 

"  And  which  do  you  mean  to  take,  Walter,  the 
attack  or'the  defense  ?  Methinks  the  king  has  erred 
somewhat  in  making  the  forces  equal,  for  assuredly 
the  besiegers  should  outnumber  the  besieged  by 
fully  three  to  one  to  give  them  a  fair  chance  of 
success." 

"  I    shall  take  the  assault,"  Walter  answered ; 


94  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"  there  is  more  to  be  done  that  way  than  in  the  de- 
fense. When  we  get  home,  Geoffrey,  we  will  look 
at  the  plans,  and  see  what  may  be  the  best  manner 
of  assault." 

Upon  examining  the  plan  that  evening  they  found 
that  the  wall  was  continued  at  an  angle  at  either 
end  for  a  distance  of  some  twenty  feet  back  so  as  to 
give  a  postern  gate  behind  each  of  the  corner 
towers  through  which  a  sortie  might  be  made. 
Geoffrey  and  Walter  talked  the  matter  over,  and 
together  contrived  a  plan  of  operation  for  the  fol- 
lowing day. 

"  You  will  have  one  great  advantage,"  Geoffrey 
said.  "  The  apprentices  are  all  accustomed  to  the 
use  of  the  bow,  while  the  young  nobles  will  know 
but  little  of  that  weapon  ;  therefore  your  shooting 
will  be  far  straighter  and  truer,  and  even  a  blunt- 
headed  arrow  drawn  from  the  shoulder  will  hit  so 
smart  a  blow  that  those  on  the  wall  will  have  diffi- 
culty in  withstanding  them." 

After  the  talk  was  ended  Walter  again  crossed 
London  Bridge,  and  made  his  way  to  Ludgate, 
where  he  found  his  late  antagonist,  whose  head  had 
been  plastered  up  and  was  little  the  worse  for  the 
conflict. 

"  There  is  no  ill-will  between  us,  I  hope,"  Walter 
said,  holding  out  his  hand. 

"  None  in  the  world,"  the  young  smith  said 
frankly. 

He  was  a  good  tempered-looking  young  giant, 
with  closely  cropped  hair,  light-blue  eyes,  and  a 
pleasant  but  somewhat  heavy  face. 


8T.  GEOnQE  FOR  ENGLAND.  95 

"  My  faith  !  but  what  a  blow  was  that  you  gave 
me !  why,  one  would  think  that  your  muscles  were 
made  of  steel.  I  thought  that  I  could  hit  a  good 
downright  blow,  seeing  that  I  have  been  hammering 
at  the  anvil  for  the  last  seven  years ;  but  strike  as 
I  would  I  could  not  beat  down  your  guard,  while 
mine  went  down  as  if  it  had  been  a  feather  before 
yours.  I  knew,  directly  that  I  had  struck  the  first 
blow,  and  felt  how  firm  was  your  defense,  that  it 
was  all  up  with  me,  knowing  that  in  point  of  skill 
I  had  no  chance  whatever  with  you." 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  bear  no  malice, 
Kalph,"  Walter  said,  "  and  hope  that  we  shall  be 
great  friends  henceforth,  that  is,  if  you  will  take  me 
as  such,  seeing  that  you  are  just  out  of  your  ap- 
prenticeship, while  I  am  not  yet  half -through  mine. 
But  I  have  come  to  talk  to  you  about  to-morrow. 
Have  you  heard  that  there  is  to  be  a  mimic  siege  ?" 

"  I  have  heard  about  it,"  Kalph  said.  "  The  city 
is  talking  of  nothing  else.  The  news  was  published 
at  the  end  of  the  sports.  It  will  be  rare  fun, 
surely." 

"  It  will  be  pretty  rough  fun,"  Walter  replied ; 
"  and  I  should  not  be  much  surprised  if  some  lives 
are  lost ;  but  this  is  always  so  in  a  tournament ; 
and  if  knights  and  nobles  are  ready  to  be  killed,  we 
apprentices  need  not  fear  to  hazard  our  lives.  But 
now  as  to  to-morrow.  I,  as  the  winner  to-day,  am 
to  be  the  leader  of  the  party,  and  you,  as  second, 
will  of  course  be  captain  under  me.  Now  I  want 
to  explain  to  you  exactly  what  I  propose  to  do,  and 


96  ST.  GEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

to  arrange  with  you  as  to  your  share  in  the  busi- 
ness." 

The  young  smith  listened  attentively  to  Walter's 
explanation,  and,  when  he  had  done,  exclaimed  ad- 
miringly :  "  Why,  Walter,  you  seem  to  be  made  for 
a  general.  How  did  it  all  come  to  you,  lad  ?  I 
should  never  have  thought  of  such  a  scheme." 

"  J  talked  it  over  Avith  my  master,"  Walter  said, 
"  and  the  idea  is  his  as  much  as  mine.  I  wonder  if 
it  will  do?" 

"  It  is  sure  to  do,"  the  smith  said  enthusiastically. 
"  The  castle  is  as  good  as  taken." 

The  next  da}''  all  London  poured  out  to  the  scene 
of  the  sports,  and  the  greatest  admiration  and 
wonder  were  expressed  at  the  castle,  which  had 
risen,  as  if  by  magic,  in  the  night.  It  was  built  at 
one  end  of  the  lists,  which  had  been  purposely 
placed  in  a  hollow,  so  that  a  great  number  of  people 
besides  those  in  the  pavilions  could  obtain  a  view 
from  the  surrounding  slopes.  The  castle  was  sub- 
stantially built  of  heavy  timber  painted  gray,  and 
looked  at  a  little  distance  as  if  constructed  of  stone. 
A  flag  floated  from  the  central  tower,  and  the  build- 
ing looked  so  formidable  that  the  general  opinion 
was  freely  expressed  that  the  task  of  the  assailants, 
whoever  they  might  be — for  at  present  this  was  un- 
known— was  quite  impossible.  At  ten  o'clock  the 
king  and  his  court  arrived.  After  they  had  taken 
their  places  the  two  bands,  headed  by  their  leaders, 
advanced  from  the  lower  end  of  the  lists,  and  drew 
up  in  front  of  the  royal  pavilion .     The  leaders  took 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  97 

their  places  in  front.  Behind  them  stood  the  ten 
chosen  followers,  all  of  whom,  as  well  as  their  chiefs, 
were  incased  in  full  armor.  Behind,  on  one  side, 
were  one  hundred  apprentices,  on  the  other,  one 
hundred  esquires,  all  attired  as  men-at-arms.  The 
court  party  were  led  by  Clarence  Aylmer,  son  of  the 
Earl  of  Pembroke.  His  companions  were  all  young 
men  of  noble  family,  aspirants  for  the  order  of 
knighthood.  They  were,  for  the  most  part,  some- 
what older  than  the  apprentices,  but  as  the  latter 
consisted  chiefly  of  young  men  nearly  out  of  their 
term  the  difference  was  not  great.  Walter's  armor 
was  a  suit  which  the  armorer  had  constructed  a  year 
previously  for  a  young  knight  w^ho  had  died  before 
the  armor  could  be  delivered.  Walter  had  wondered 
more  than  once  why  Geoffrey  did  not  endeavor  to 
sell  it  elsewhere,  for  although  not  so  decorated  and 
inlaid  as  many  of  the  suits  of  Milan  armor,  it  was 
constructed  of  the  finest  steel,  and  the  armorer  had 
bestowed  special  care  upon  its  manufacture,  as  the 
young  knight's  father  had  long  been  one  of  his  best 
customers.  Early  that  morning  Geoffrey  had 
brought  it  to  his  room  and  had  told  him  to  wear  it 
instead  of  that  lent  by  the  city. 

*'  But  I  fear  it  will  get  injured,"  Walter  had 
urged.  "  I  shall  not  spare  myself,  you  know, 
Geoffrey,  and  the  blows  will  be  hard  ones." 

"  The  more  need  for  good  armor,  Walter.  These 
city  suits  are  made  for  show  rather  than  use.  You 
may  be  sure  that  young  Pembroke  and  his  band  will 
fight  their  hardest  rather  than  suffer  defeat  at  the 


98  ST.  GEOBOE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

hands  of  those  whom  they  consider  as  a  band  of 
city  varlets." 

Before  issuing  from  the  tent  where  he  and  his 
companions  had  put  on  their  mail,  Walter  carefully 
fastened  in  the  front  of  his  helmet  a  tiny  gold 
bracelet.  Upon  taking  their  places  before  the 
pavilion  the  king  ordered  the  two  leaders  to  ad- 
vance, and  addressed  them  and  the  multitude  in  the 
following  words  : 

"  Brave  leaders,  and  you,  my  people,  I  have  con- 
trived the  pastime  to-day  that  I  may  show  you  on  a 
mimic  scale  the  deeds  which  my  brave  soldiers  are 
called  upon  to  perform  in  France.  It  is  more  spe- 
cially suited  for  the  combatants  of  to-day,  since  one 
party  have  had  but  small  opportunity  of  acquiring 
skill  on  horseback.  Moreover,  I  wish  to  teach  the 
lesson  that  fighting  on  foot  is  as  honorable  as  fight- 
ing on  horseback,  for  It  has  now  been  proved,  and 
sometimes  to  our  cost,  in  Scotland,  that  footmen  can 
repulse  even  the  bravest  chivalry.  To-day  each 
party  will  fight  his  best.  Remember  that,  even  in 
the  heat  of  conflict,  matters  must  not  be  carried  to 
an  extreme.  Those  cut  off  from  their  friends  will 
be  accounted  prisoners,  as  will  those  who,  being 
overpowered,  throw  down  their  arms.  Any  wound- 
ed on  either  side  will  not  be  accounted  as  prisoners, 
but  may  retire  with  honor  from  the  field.  You," 
he  said,  looking  at  Walter,  "  as  the  conqueror  of 
yesterday,  have  the  choice  of  either  the  attack  or 
defense  ;  but  I  should  advise  you  to  take  the  latter, 
seeing   that  it  is  easier  to  defend  a  fortress  than  to 


ST.  OEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND.  99 

assault  it.  Many  of  your  opponents  have  already 
gained  credit  in  real  warfare,  while  you  and  your 
following  are  new  to  it.  Therefore,  in  order  to 
place  the  defense  on  fair  terms  with  the  assault,  I 
have  ordered  that  both  sides  shall  be  equal  in  num- 
bers." 

"  If  your  liege  will  permit  rae,"  Walter  said, 
bowing,  *'  I  would  fain  take  the  assault.  Methinks 
that,  with  my  following,  I  could  do  better  thus  than 
in  defense." 

The  king  looked  somewhat  displeased. 

"  As  you  will,"  he  said  coldly  ;  "  but  I  fear  that 
this  will  somewhat  mar  the  effect  of  the  spectacle, 
seeing  that  you  will  have  no  chance  whatever 
against  an  equal  force,  more  accustomed  to  war 
than  your  party,  and  occupying  so  superior  a  posi- 
tion. However,"  he  went  on,  seeing  that  Walter 
made  no  sign  of  changing  his  mind,  "  as  you  have 
chosen,  so  be  it ;  and  now  it  is  for  you  to  choose  the 
lady  who  shall  be  queen  of  the  tourney  and  shall 
deliver  the  prizes  to  the  victors.  Look  round  you ; 
there  are  many  fair  faces,  and  it  is  for  you  to  choose 
among  them." 

Smiles  passed  between  many  of  the  courtly  dames 
and  ladies  at  the  choice  that  was  to  be  made  among 
them  by  the  apprentice  lad  ;  and  they  thought  that 
he  would  be  sorely  puzzled  at  such  a  duty.  Walter, 
however,  did  not  hesitate  an  instant.  He  ran  his 
eye  over  the  crowd  of  ladies  in  the  royal  gallery, 
and  soon  saw  the  object  of  his  search. 

"  Since  I  have  your  majesty's  permission,"  he  said. 


100  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"  I  choose,  as  queen  of  the  tournament,  Mistress 
Edith  Yernon." 

There  was  a  movement  of  surprise  and  a  general 
smile.  Perhaps  to  all  who  thought  that  they  had  a 
chance  of  being  chosen  the  selection  was  a  relief,  as 
none  could  be  jealous  of  the  pretty  child,  who,  at 
the  king's  order,  made  her  way  forward  to  the  front, 
and  took  her  seat  in  a  chair  placed  between  the 
king  and  queen.  The  girl  colored  brightly  ;  but  she 
had  heard  so  much  of  tourneys  and  jousts  that  she 
knew  what  was  her  duty.  She  had  been  sitting  far 
back  on  the  previous  day,  and  the  apprentice,  when 
brought  up  before  the  king,  was  too  far  below  for 
her  to  see  his  features.     She  now  recognized  him. 

"  Sir  knights,"  she  said  in  a  loud,  clear,  childish 
voice,  "  you  will  both  do  your  duty  to-day  and  show 
yourselves  worthy  cavaliers.  Methinks  that,  as 
queen  of  the  tourney,  I  should  be  neutral  between 
you,  but  as  one  of  you  carries  my  gage  in  his  helm, 
my  good  wishes  must  needs  go  with  him  ;  but  bright 
eyes  will  be  fixed  on  you  both,  and  may  well  stir 
you  to  deeds  of  valor." 

So  saying,  she  resumed  her  seat  with  a  pretty  air 
of  dignity. 

"  Why,  sweetheart,"  the  king  said,  "  how  is  it  that 
this  'prentice  lad  knows  your  name,  and  how  is  it 
that  he  wears  your  gage,  for  I  know  that  the  young 
Pembroke  wears  the  glove  of  the  Earl  of  Surrey's 
daughter  ?" 

"  He  saved  ray  hfe,  sir,  mine  and  mj  mother's," 
the  child  said,  "and  I  told  him  he  should  be  ray  true 


ST.  GEOUGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  101 

knight,  and  gave  him  my  bracelet,  which  you  see 
he  wears  in  his  helm." 

"  I  recall  somewhat  of  the  story,"  the  king  said, 
^'  and  will  question  my  Lady  Yernon  further  anon  ; 
but  see,  the  combatants  are  filing  off  to  their 
places." 

With  flags  flying  and  trumpets  blowing  young 
Pembroke  led  his  forces  into  the  castle.  Each  of 
his  ten  knights  was  followed  by  an  esquire  bearing 
his  banner,  and  each  had  ten  men-at-arms  under  his 
immediate  order.  Two  of  them,  with  twenty  men, 
remained  in  the  outwork  beyond  the  drawbridge. 
The  rest  took  their  station  on  the  walls  and  towers, 
where  a  platform  had  been  erected  running  along 
three  feet  below  the  battlements.  The  real  men-at- 
arms  with  the  machines  of  war  now  advanced,  and 
for  a  time  worked  the  machines,  which  made  pre- 
tense at  casting  great  stones  and  missiles  at  the 
walls.  The  assailants  then  moved  forward  and,  un- 
slinging  their  bows,  opened  a  heavy  fire  of  arrows 
at  the  defenders,  who,  in  turn,  replied  with  arrows 
and  cross-bows. 

"  The  'prentices  shoot  well,"  the  king  said  ;  "  by 
our  lady,  it  would  be  hot  work  for  the  defenders 
were  the  shafts  but  pointed !  Even  as  it  is  the 
knocks  must  be  no  child's  play,  for  the  arrows, 
although  not  pointed,  are  all  tipped  with  iron, 
without  which,  indeed,  straight  shooting  would  be 
impossible." 

The  return  fire  from  the  walls  was  feeble,  and  the 
king  said,  laughing,  "  So  far  your  knight,  fair  mis- 


102  ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAUB, 

tress,  has  it  all  his  own  way.  I  did  not  reckon  suf- 
ficiently upon  the  superiority  of  shooting  of  the 
London  lads,  and,  indeed,  I  know  not  that  I  ought 
not  in  fairness  to  order  some  of  the  defenders  off  the 
walls,  seeing  that  in  warfare  their  numbers  would 
be  rapidly  thinned.  See,  the  assailants  are  moving 
up  the  two  towers  under  shelter  of  the  fire  of  the 
archers." 

By  this  time  Aylmer,  seeing  that  his  followers 
could  make  no  effectual  reply  to  the  arrow  fire,  had 
ordered  all,  save  the  leaders  in  full  armor,  to  lie 
down  behind  the  parapet.  The  assailants  now 
gathered  thickly  round  each  tower,  as  if  they  in- 
tended to  attempt  to  cross  by  the  bridges,  which 
could  be  let  down  from  an  opening  in  the  tower  level 
with  the  top  of  the  wall,  while  archers  upon  the  sum- 
mit shot  fast  and  thick  among  the  defenders  who 
were  gathering  to  oppose  them. 

"  If  the  young  Pembroke  is  wise,"  the  king  said, 
"  he  will  make  a  strong  sally  now  and  fall  upon  one 
or  other  of  the  parties." 

As  he  spoke  there  was  a  sudden  movement  on  the 
part  of  the  assailants,  who,  leaving  the  foot  of  the 
towers,  made  a  rush  at  the  outwork  in  the  center. 
The  instant  they  arrived  they  fell  to  work  with 
axes  upon  the  palisades.  Many  were  struck  down 
by  the  blows  dealt  them  by  the  defenders,  but 
others  caught  up  the  axes  and  in  less  than  a  minute 
several  of  the  palisades  were  cut  down  and  the 
assailants  poured  in.  The  defenders  fought  gal- 
lantly, but   they  were  overpowered    by   numbers. 


ST,  OEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  103 

Some  were  struck  down,  others  taken  prisoners  by 
main  force,  and  the  rest  driven  across  the  draw- 
bridge just  as  the  gates  were  opened  and  Pembroke, 
at  the  head  of  the  defenders,  swarmed  out  to  their 
assistance. 

There  was  a  desperate  fight  on  the  bridge,  and  it 
was  well  that  the  armor  was  stout,  and  the  arms  that 
wielded  the  weapons  had  not  yet  attained  their  full 
strength.  Several  were  knocked  off  the  bridge  into 
the  moat,  and  these  were,  by  the  rules,  obliged  at 
once  to  retire  and  take  no  further  part  in  the  con- 
test. Walter  and  Ralph  the  smith  fought  in 
front  of  their  men,  and  hard  as  Pembroke  and  his 
followers  struggled,  they  could  not  drive  them  back 
a  foot.  The  court  party  was  galled  by  the  heavy 
fire  of  arrows  kept  up  by  the  apprentices  along  the 
side  of  the  moat,  and  finding  all  his  efforts  to  regain 
the  earthwork  useless,  Pembroke  withdrew  his  forces 
into  the  castle,  and  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the 
besiegers  managed  to  close  the  gates  in  their  faces. 
The  assailants,  however,  succeeded  in  severing  the 
chains  of  the  drawbridge  before  it  could  be  raised. 

From  the  tower  above,  the  defenders  now  hurled 
over  great  stones,  which  had  been  specially  placed 
there  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  the  drawbridge 
should  the  earthwork  be  carried.  The  boards  were 
soon  splintered,  and  the  drawbridge  was  pronounced 
by  the  Earl  of  Talbot,  who  was  acting  as  judge,  to 
be  destroyed.  The  excitement  of  the  spectators 
was  worked  up  to  a  great  pitch  while  the  conflict 
was  going  on,  and  the  citizens  cheered  lustily  at  the 
success  of  the  appren 


104  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

**  That  was  gallantly  done,"  the  king  said  to  Queen 
Philippa,  "  and  the  leader  of  the  assailants  is  a  lad 
of  rare  mettle.  Not  a  captain  of  my  army,  no,  not 
Sir  Walter  Manny  himself,  could  have  done  it  more 
cleverly.  You  see,  by  placing  his  forces  at  the  ends 
of  the  wall  he  drew  all  the  garrison  thither  to  with- 
stand the  assaults  from  them,  and  thus  by  his  sudden 
movement  he  was  able  to  carry  the  outwork  before 
they  could  recover  from  their  surprise  and  come 
down  to  its  aid.  I  am  curious  to  know  what  he  will 
do  next.  What  thinkst  thou,  Edward  ?"  he  asked  his 
son,  who  was  standing  by  his  side. 

"  He  will  win  the  day,"  the  young  prince  said  ; 
"  and  in  faith,  although  the  others  are  my  comrades, 
I  should  be  glad  to  see  it.  He  will  make  a  gallant 
knight,  sir,  one  of  these  days,  and  remember  he  is 
engaged  to  follow  my  banner,  so  you  must  not  steal 
him  from  me.  See,  my  liege,  they  are  taking  planks 
and  ladders  to  the  outwork." 

"  They  are  doing  wrongly,  then,"  the  king  said, 
"  for  even  should  they  bridge  the  moat  where  the 
drawbridge  is,  they  cannot  scale  the  wall  there, 
since  the  tower  defends  it,  and  the  ladders  are  but 
long  enough  to  reach  the  lower  wall.  ]^o,  their 
leader  has  changed  his  mind  :  they  are  taking  the 
planks  along  the  edge  of  the  moat  toward  the 
tower  on  the  left,  and  will  aid  the  assault  by  its 
bridge  by  a  passage  of  the  moat  there." 

It  seemed,  indeed,  that  this  was  the  plan.  While 
some  of  the  assailants  kept  up  the  arrow  fire  on  the 
wall  others  mounted  the  tower,  while  a  party  pre- 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  105 

pared  to  throw  a  bridge  of  planks  across  the  moat. 
The  bridge  from  the  tower  was  now  lowered  ;  but  a 
shout  of  triumph  rose  from  the  defenders  when  it 
was  seen  that  by  some  mistake  of  the  carpenters 
this  was  too  short,  and  when  lowered  did  not  reach 
within  six  feet  of  the  wall. 

"  All  the  better,"  the  king  said,  while  the  prince 
gave  an  angry  exclamation.  "Accidents  of  this 
kind  will  happen,  and  give  an  opportunity  to  a 
leader  to  show  his  resources.  Doubtless  he  will 
carry  planks  up  to  the  tower  and  so  connect  the 
bridge  and  the  wall." 

This,  indeed,  was  what  the  assailants  tried  to  do, 
while  a  party  threw  planks  across  the  moat,  and 
rushing  over  placed  ladders  against  the  wall  and 
strove  to  climb.  They  strove  in  vain,  however. 
The  ladders  were  thrown  down  as  fast  as  they  were 
placed,  while  the  defenders,  thickly  clustered  on 
the  walls,  drove  back  those  who  tried  to  cross  from 
the  tower. 

"  I  do  not  see  the  leader  of  the  assailants,"  the 
prince  said. 

"  He  has  a  white  plume,  but  it  may  have  been 
shorn  off,"  the  king  said.  "Look,  the  young  Pem- 
broke is  making  a  sortie !" 

From  the  sortie  gate  behind  the  tower  the  de- 
fenders now  poured  out,  and  running  down  the 
edge  of  the  moat  fell  upon  the  stormers,  These, 
however,  received  them  with  great  steadiness,  and 
while  some  continued  to  attack  the  rest  turned 
UDon  the  garrison,  and,  headed  by  Ralph  the  smith, 
drove  them  gradually  back. 


106  ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

"They  fight  well  and  steadily,"  the  king  said. 
"  One  would  have  thought  that  they  had  reckoned 
on  the  sortie,  so  steadily  did  they  receive  it." 

As  only  a  portion  of  the  garrison  had  issued  out, 
they  were  unable  to  resist  long  the  pressure  of  the 
apprentices,  who  drove  them  back  step  by  step  to 
the  sally-port,  and  pressing  them  hard  endeavored 
to  force  their  way  in  at  their  heels. 


8T.  GEOUGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  10? 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    YOUNG     ESQUIRE. 

While  the  attention  of  the  whole  of  the  spec- 
tators and  combatants  was  fixed  upon  the  struggle 
at  the  right-hand  angle  of  the  castle,  a  party  of 
twenty  'prentices  suddenly  leaped  to  their  feet  from 
among  the  broken  palisades  of  the  outwork.  Lying 
perdu  there  they  had  escaped  the  attention  of  the 
spectators  as  well  as  of  the  defenders.  The  reason 
why  the  assailants  carried  the  planks  and  ladders 
to  this  spot  was  now  apparent.  Only  a  portion  had 
been  taken  on  to  the  assault  of  the  right-hand 
tower ;  those  who  now  rose  to  their  feet  lifted  with 
them  planks  and  ladders,  and  at  a  rapid  pace  ran 
toward  the  left  angle  of  the  castle,  and  reached 
that  point  before  the  attention  of  the  few  defenders 
who  remained  on  the  wall  there  was  attracted  to 
them,  so  absorbed  were  they  in  the  struggle  at  the 
other  angle.  The  moment  that  they  saw  the  new 
assailants  they  raised  a  shout  of  alarm,  but  the  din 
of  the  combat,  the  shouts  of  the  leaders  and  men 
were  so  loud  that  their  cries  were  unheard.  Two 
or  three  then  hurried  away  at  full  speed  to  give  the 
alarm,  while  the  others  strove  to  repel  the  assault. 


108  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

Their  efforts  were  in  vain.  The  planks  were  flung 
across  the  moat,  the  ladders  placed  in  position,  and 
led  by  Walter  the  assailants  sprang  up  and  gained 
a  footing  on  the  wall  before  the  alarm  was  fairly 
given.  A  thundering  cheer  from  the  spectators 
greeted  the  success  of  the  assailants.  Springing 
along  the  wall  they  drove  before  them  the  few  who 
strove  to  oppose  them,  gained  the  central  tower, 
and  Walter,  springing  up  to  the  top,  pulled  down 
the  banner  of  the  defenders  and  placed  that  of  the 
city  in  its  place.  At  this  moment  the  defenders, 
awakened  too  late  to  the  ruse  which  had  been 
played  upon  them,  came  swarming  back  along  the 
wall  and  strove  to  regain  the  central  tower.  In 
the  confusion  the  assault  by  the  flying  tower  of  the 
assailants  was  neglected,  and  at  this  point  also  they 
gained  a  footing  on  the  wall.  The  young  nobles  of 
the  court,  furious  at  being  outwitted,  fought  des- 
perately to  regain  their  lost  laurels.  But  the  king 
rose  from  his  seat  and  held  up  his  hand.  The 
trumpeter  standing  below  him  sounded  the  arrest 
of  arms,  which  was  echoed  by  two  others  who 
accompanied  Earl  Talbot,  who  had  taken  his  place 
on  horseback  close  to  the  walls.  At  the  sound 
swords  dropped  and  the  din  abruptly  ceased,  but 
the  combatants  stood  glaring  at  each  other,  their 
blood  too  heated  to  relinquish  the  fray  readily. 

Already  much  damage  had  been  done.  In  spite 
of  armor  and  mail  many  serious  wounds  had  been 
inflicted,  and  some  of  the  combatants  had  already 
been  carried  senseless  from  the  field.     Some  of  the 


ST,  GEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND,  109 

assailants  had  been  much  shaken  by  being  thrown 
backward  from  the  ladders  into  the  moat,  one  or 
two  were  hurt  to  death  ;  but  as  few  tourneys  took 
place  without  the  loss  of  several  lives,  this  was  con- 
sidered but  a  small  amount  of  damage  for  so  stoutly 
fought  a  melee^  and  the  knowledge  that  many  were 
wounded,  and  some  perhaps  dying,  in  no  way 
damped  the  enthusiasm  of  the  spectators,  who 
cheered  lustily  for  some  minutes  at  the  triumph 
which  the  city  had  obtained. 

In  the  galleries  occupied  by  the  ladies  and  nobles 
of  the  court  there  was  a  comparative  silence.  But 
brave  deeds  were  appreciated  in  those  days,  and 
although  the  ladies  Tvould  far  rather  have  seen  the 
victory  incline  the  other  way,  yet  they  waved  their 
handkerchiefs  and  clapped  their  hands  in  token  of 
their  admiration  at  the  success  of  an  assault  which, 
at  the  commencement,  appeared  well-nigh  hopeless. 

Lord  Talbot  rode  up  to  the  front  of  the  royal 
pavilion. 

"  I  was  about  to  stop  the  fight,  sire,  when  you 
gave  the  signal.  Their  blood  was  up,  and  many 
would  have  been  killed  had  the  combat  continued. 
But  the  castle  was  fairly  won,  the  central  tower  was 
taken  and  the  flag  pulled  down,  a  footing  had  been 
gained  at  another  point  of  the  wall,  and  the  assail- 
ants had  forced  their  way  through  the  sally-port. 
Further  resistance  was  therefore  hopeless,  and  the 
castle  must  be  adjudged  as  fairly  and  honorably 
captured.^' 

A  renewed  shout  greeted  the  judge's  decision.  The 


no  ST,  OBORGE  FOR  ENQLANB. 

king  now  ordered  the  rival  hosts  to  be  mustered  be- 
fore him  as  before  the  battle,  and  when  this  was  done 
Earl  Talbot  conducted  Walter  up  the  broad  steps  in 
front  of  the  king's  pavilion.  Geoffrey  Ward,  who 
had,  after  fastening  on  Walter's  armor  in  the  tent 
before  the  sports  began,  taken  his  place  among  the 
guards  at  the  foot  of  the  royal  pavilion,  stepped  for- 
ward and  removed  Walter's  helmet  at  the  foot  of 
the  steps. 

"  Young  sir,"  the  king  said,  "  you  have  borne 
yourself  right  gallantly  to-day,  and  have  shown  that 
you  possess  the  qualities  which  make  a  great  cap- 
tain. I  do  my  nobles  no  wrong  when  I  say  that 
not  one  of  them  could  have  better  planned  and  led 
the  assault  than  you  have  done.  Am  I  not  right, 
sirs  ?"  and  he  looked  round. 

A  murmur  of  assent  rose  from  the  knights  and 
nobles,  and  the  king  continued  :  "  I  thought  you 
vain  and  presumptuous  in  undertaking  the  assault 
of  a  fort  held  by  an  equal  number,  many  of  whom 
are  well  accustomed  to  war,  while  the  lads  who 
followed  you  were  all  untrained  in  strife,  but  you 
have  proved  that  your  confidence  in  yourself  was 
not  misplaced.  The  Earl  of  Talbot  has  adjudged 
you  victor,  and  none  can  doubt  what  the  end  of  the 
strife  would  have  been.  Take  this  chain  from  your 
king,  who  is  glad  to  see  that  his  citizens  of  London 
are  able  to  hold  their  own  even  against  those  of  our 
court,  than  whom  we  may  say  no  braver  exist  in 
Europe.  Kneel  now  to  the  queen  of  the  tourney, 
who  will  bestow  upon  you  the  chaplet  which  you 
have  so  worthily  earned," 


ST.  GEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND.  HI 

Walter  bent  his  knee  before  Edith  Yernon.  She 
rose  to  her  feet,  and  with  an  air  of  pretty  dignity 
placed  a  chaplet  of  laurel  leaves,  wrought  in  gold 
and  clasped  with  a  valuable  ruby,  on  his  head. 

'^  I  present  to  you,"  she  said,  "  the  chaplet  of  vic- 
tory, and  am  proud  that  my  gage  should  have  been 
worn  by  one  who  has  borne  himself  so  bravely  and 
well.  May  a  like  success  rest  on  all  your  under- 
takings, and  may  you  prove  a  good  and  valiant 
knight !" 

"  Well  said,  Mistress  Edith,"  Queen  Philippa  said, 
smiling.  "  You  may  well  be  proud  of  your  young 
champion.  I  too  must  have  my  gift,"  and  drawing 
a  ring  set  with  brilliants  from  her  finger  she  placed 
it  in  Walter's  hand. 

The  lad  now  rose  to  his  feet.  "  The  prince,  my 
son,"  the  king  said,  "  has  promised  that  you  shall 
ride  with  his  men-at-arms  when  he  is  old  enough  to 
take  the  field.  Should  you  choose  to  abandon  your 
craft  and  do  so  earlier  I  doubt  not  that  one  of  my 
nobles,  the  brave  Sir  Walter  Manny,  for  example, 
will  take  you  before  that  time." 

"  That  will  I  readily  enough,"  Sir  Walter  said, 
"  and  glad  to  have  so  promising  a  youth  beneath 
my  banner." 

"  I  would  that  you  had  been  of  gentle  blood,"  the 
king  said. 

"  That  makes  no  difference,  sire,"  Sir  Walter 
replied.  "  I  will  place  him  among  the  young  gentle- 
men, my  pages  and  esquires,  and  am  sure  that  they 
will  receive  him  as  one  of  themselves." 


11^  8T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

Geoffrey  Ward  had  hitherto  stood  at  the  foot  of 
the  steps  leading  to  the  royal  pavilion,  but  dof&ng 
his  cap  he  now  ascended.  "  Pardon  my  boldness, 
sire,"  he  said  to  the  king,  '*  but  I  would  fain  tell  you 
what  the  lad  himself  has  hitherto  been  ignorant  of. 
He  is  not,  as  he  supposes,  the  son  of  Giles  Fletcher, 
citizen  and  bowmaker,  but  is  the  lawfully  born  son 
of  Sir  Koland  Somers,  erst  of  Westerham  and  Hy  the, 
who  was  killed  in  the  troubles  at  the  commence- 
ment of  your  majesty's  reign.  His  wife.  Dame 
Alice,  brought  the  child  to  Giles  Fletcher,  whose 
wife  had  been  her  nurse,  and  dying  left  him  in  her 
care.  Giles  and  his  wife,  if  called  for,  can  vouch 
for  the  truth  of  this,  and  can  give  you  proofs  of  his 
birth." 

Walter  listened  with  astonishment  to  Geoffrey's 
speech.  A  thrill  of  pleasure  rushed  through  his 
veins  as  he  learned  that  he  was  of  gentle  blood  and 
might  hope  to  aspire  to  a  place  among  the  knights 
of  King  Edward's  court.  He  understood  now  the 
pains  which  Geoffrey  had  bestowed  in  seeing  that 
he  was  perfected  in  warlike  exercises,  and  why  he 
and  Giles  had  encouraged  rather  than  repressed  his 
love  for  martial  exercises  and  his  determination  to 
abandon  his  craft  and  become  a  man-at-arms  when 
he  reached  man's  estate. 

"  Ah  !  is  it  so  ?"  the  king  exclaimed.  ^'  I  remem- 
ber Sir  Eoland  Somers,  and  also  that  he  was  slain 
by  Sir  Hugh  Spencer,  who,  as  I  heard  on  many 
hands,  acted  rather  on  a  private  quarrel  than,  as  he 
alleged,  in  my  interest,  and  there  were  many  who 


8T,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  113 

avowed  that  the  charges  brought  against  Sir  Koland 
were  unfounded.  However,  this  matter  must  be 
inquired  into,  and  my  high  justiciar  'shall  see 
Master  Giles  and  his  wife,  hear  their  evidence,  and 
examine  the  proofs  which  they  may  bring  forward. 
As  to  the  estates,  they  were  granted  to  Sir  Jasper 
Yernon  and  cannot  be  restored.  ^N^evertheless  I 
doubt  not  that  the  youth  will  carve  out  for  himself 
a  fortune  with  his  sword.  You  are  his  master,  1 
suppose.  I  would  fain  pay  you  to  cancel  his  ap- 
prenticeship. Sir  Walter  Manny  has  promised  to 
enroll  him  among  his  esquires." 

"  I  will  cancel  his  indentures  willingly,  my  liege," 
the  armorer  answered,  "  and  that  without  payment. 
The  lad  has  been  to  me  as  a  sou,  and  seeing  his  high 
spirit,  and  knowing  the  gentle  blood  running  in  his 
veins,  I  have  done  my  best  so  to  teach  him  and  so 
to  put  him  in  the  way  of  winning  back  his  father's 
rank  by  his  sword." 

"  He  hath  gone  far  toward  it  already,"  the  king 
said,  "  and  methinks  may  yet  gain  some  share  in 
his  father's  inheritance,"  and  he  glanced  at  little 
Mistress  Edith  Yernon  and  then  smiled  at  the  queen. 
"  Well,  we  shall  see,"  he  went  on.  "  Under  Sir 
Walter  Manny  he  will  have  brave  chances  of  dis- 
tinguishing himself,  and  when  my  son  takes  the 
field,  he  shall  ride  with  him.  But  I  am  keeping  the 
hosts  waiting.  Bring  hither,"  he  said  to  Earl  Tal- 
bot, "  Clarence  Aylmer." 

The  young  noble  was  led  up  to  the  king.  "  You 
have  done  well,  Clarence ;  though  you  have  been 


114  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

worsted  you  fought  bravely,  but  you  were  deceived 
by  a  ruse  which  might  have  taken  iu  a  more  ex- 
perienced captain.  I  trust  that  you  will  be  friends 
with  your  adversary,  who  will  be  known  to  you 
henceforth  as  Walter  Somers,  son  of  Sir  Eoland  of 
that  name,  and  who  will  ride  to  the  wars,  whither 
you  also  are  shortly  bound,  under  the  standard  of 
Sir  Walter  Manny." 

The  cloud  which  had  hung  over  the  face  of  the 
young  noble  cleared.  It  had  indeed  been  a  bitter 
mortification  to  him  that  he,  the  son  of  one  of  the 
proudest  of  English  nobles,  should  have  been  worst- 
ed by  a  London  apprentice,  and  it  was  a  relief  to 
him  to  find  that  his  opponent  was  one  of  knightly 
blood.  He  turned  frankly  to  Walter  and  held  out 
his  hand.  ^'  I  greet  you  as  a  comrade,  sir,"  he  said, 
"  and  hope  some  day  that  in  our  rivalry  in  the  field 
I  may  do  better  than  I  have  done  to-day." 

"  That  is  well  spoken,"  the  king  said.  Then  he 
rose  and  in  a  loud  voice  addressed  the  combatants, 
saying  that  all  had  borne  themselves  well  and 
bravely,  and  that  he  thanked  them,  not  only  for 
the  rare  pastime  which  they  had  made,  but  for  the 
courage  and  boldness  which  had  been  displayed  on 
both  sides.  So  saying,  he  waved  his  hand  as  a  token 
that  the  proceedings  were  ended,  and  returned 
with  the  court  to  Westminster  ;  while  the  crowd  of 
spectators  overflowed  the  lists,  those  who  had 
friends  in  the  apprentice  array  being  anxious  to  know 
how  they  had  fared.  That  evening  there  was  a 
banquet   given   by   the  lord  mayor.     Walter    was 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  Hg 

invited  to  be  present,  with  Giles  and  Geoffrey,  and 
many  compiimeTitary  things  were  said  to  him,  and 
he  was  congratulated  on  the  prospects  which 
awaited  him.  After  dinner  all  the  'prentices  who 
had  taken  part  in  the  sports  filed  through  the  hall 
and  were  each  presented  with  a  gold  piece  by  the 
lord  mayor,  in  the  name  of  the  corporation,  for 
having  so  nobly  sustained  the  renown  of  the  city. 

After  the  entertainment  was  over  Walter  returned 
with  Geoffrey  to  the  bowyer's  house,  and  there 
heard  from  his  two  friends  and  Bertha  the  details 
of  his  mother's  life  from  the  time  that  she  had  been 
a  child,  and  the  story  of  her  arrival  with  him,  and 
her  death.  He  had  still  difficulty  in  believing  that 
it  was  all  true,  that  Giles  and  Bertha,  whom  he  had 
so  long  regarded  as  his  father  and  mother,  were 
only  his  kind  guardians,  and  that  he  was  the  scion 
of  two  noble  families.  Yery  warmly  and  grate- 
fully he  thanked  his  three  friends  for  the  kindness 
which  they  had  shown  to  him,  and  vowed  that  no 
change  of  condition  should  ever  alter  his  feelings  of 
affection  toward  them.  It  was  not  until  the  late 
hour  of  nine  o'clock  that  he  said  good-by  to  his 
foster-parents,  for  he  was  next  day  to  repair  to  the 
lodging  of  Sir  Walter  Manny,  who  was  to  sail 
again  before  the  week  was  out  for  the  Low  Coun- 
tries, from  which  he  had  only  returned  for  a  few  days 
to  have  private  converse  with  the  king  on  the  state 
of  matters  there.  His  friends  would  have  delivered 
to  him  his  mother's  ring  and  other  tokens  which 
she  had  left,  but   thought  it  better  to  keep  these, 


116  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

with  the  other  proofs  of  his  birth^  until  his  claim 
was  established  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  lord  jus- 
ticiaries. 

The  next  morning  early,  when  Walter  descended 
the  stairs,  he  found  Ralph  Smith  waiting  for  him. 
His  face  was  strapped  up  with  plaster  and  he  wore 
his  arm  in  a  sling,  for  his  armor  had  been  twice 
cut  through  as  he  led  his  party  in  through  the 
sally-port. 

"  How  goes  it  with  you,  Ralph  ?"  Walter  said. 
"  I^ot  much  the  worse,  I  hope,  for  your  hard 
knocks  V 

"JS'ot  a  whit,"  Ralph  replied  cheerfully,  "  and  I 
shall  be  all  right  again  before  the  week  is  out ;  but 
the  leech  made  as  much  fuss  over  me  as  if  I  had 
been  a  girl,  just  as  though  one  was  not  accustomed 
to  hard  knocks  in  a  smithy.  Those  I  got  yesterday 
were  not  half  so  hard  as  that  which  you  gave  me 
the  day  before.  My  head  rings  yet  with  the 
thought  of  it.  But  I  have  not  come  to  talk  about 
myself.  Is  the  story  true  which  they  tell  of  you, 
Master  Walter,  that  you  are  not  the  son  of  Giles 
the  bowyer,  but  of  a  great  noble  V 

"  Not  of  a  great  noble,  Ralph,  but  of  a  gallant 
knight,  which  is  just  as  good.  My  father  was 
killed  when  I  was  three  years  old,  and  my  mother 
brought  me  to  Bertha,  the  wife  of  Giles  the 
bowyer,  who  had  been  her  nurse  in  childhood.  I 
had  forgotten  all  that  had  passed,  and  deemed 
myself  the  son  of  the  good  citizen,  but  since  I  have 
heard  the  truth  my  memory  has  awakened  some- 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  117 

what,  and  I  have  a  dim  recollection  ol  a  lordly 
castle  and  of  ray  father  and  mother." 

"And  they  say,  Walter,  that  you  are  going  with 
Sir  Walter  Manny,  with  the  force  which  is  just 
sailing  to  the  assistance  of  Lady  de  Montford  ?" 

"  That  is  so,  Kalph,  and  the  good  knight  has 
taken  me  among  his  esquires,  young  as  I  am, 
although  I  might  well  have  looked  for  nothing 
better  than  to  commence,  for  two  years  at  least,  as 
a  page,  seeing  that  I  am  but  eighteen  now.  Now  I 
shall  ride  with  him  into  the  battles  and  shall  have 
as  good  a  chance  as  the  others  of  gaining  honor 
and  winning  my  spurs." 

"  I  have  made  up  my  mind  that  I  will  go  with  you. 
Master  Walter,  if  you  will  take  me  ;  each  squire  has 
a  man-at-arms  who  serves  him,  and  I  will  give  you 
good  and  faithful  service  if  you  will  take  me  with 
you.  I  spoke  to  the  smith,  my  master,  last  night, 
when  I  heard  the  news,  and  as  my  apprenticeship 
is  out  next  week  he  was  willing  enough  to  give  me 
the  few  days  which  remain.  Once  out  of  my 
apprenticeship  I  may  count  to  be  a  man,  and  seeing 
that  I  am  nineteen,  and  as  I  may  say  well  grown  of 
my  years,  methinks  I  am  fit  for  service  as  a  man-at- 
arms,  and  I  would  rather  fight  behind  you  than 
labor  all  my  life  in  the  smithy." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  indeed,  Ralph,  to  have  you  with 
me  if  such  be  really  your  wish,  and  I  do  not  think 
that  Sir  Walter  Manny  will  say  nay,  for  they  have 
been  beating  up  for  recruits  through  the  kingdom, 
and  we  proved  yesterday  that  you  have  courage  as 


118  ST.  GEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

well  as  strength.  If  he  will  consent  I  should  be 
glad  indeed  to  have  so  brave  a  comrade  with  me,  so 
we  may  consider  that  settled,  and  if  you  will  come 
down  to  Westminster,  to  Sir  Walter  Manny's 
lodging,  this  afternoon,  I  will  tell  you  what  he  says 
touching  the  matter.  You  will,  of  course,  need  arms 
and  armor." 

"  I  can  provide  that,"  Ealph  replied,  "  seeing  that 
his  worshipful  the  lord  mayor  bestowed  upon  me 
yesterday  five  gold  pieces  as  the  second  in  command 
in  the  sports.  I  have  already  a  steel  cap  and 
breast  and  back  pieces,  which  I  have  made  for  my- 
self in  hours  of  leisure,  and  warrant  will  stand  as 
hard  a  knock  as  the  Frenchmen  can  give  them." 

Going  across  into  the  city  with  Geoffrey,  Walter 
purchased,  with  the  contents  of  the  purse  which  the 
king  had  given  him,  the  garments  suited  for  his  new 
position.  He  was  fortunate  in  obtaining  some 
which  fitted  him  exactly.  These  had  been  made 
for  a  young  esquire  of  the  Earl  of  Salisbury  ;  but 
the  tailor,  when  he  heard  from  Geoffrey  for  whom 
they  were  required,  and  the  need  for  instant 
dispatch,  parted  with  them  to  Walter,  saying  that 
he  for  whom  they  were  made  could  well  wait  a  few 
days,  and  that  he  would  set  his  journeymen  to  work 
at  once  to  make  some  more  of  similar  fit  and 
fashion. 

Walter  felt  strange  in  his  new  attire,  and  by  no 
means  relished  the  tightness  of  the  garments,  which 
was  strictly  demanded  by  the  fashion  of  the  day. 
His  long  hose,  one  of  which  was  of  a  deep  maroon, 


ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  119 

the  other  a  bright  yellow,  came  far  up  above  the 
knee,  then  came  a  short  pair  of  trunks  of  similar 
colors  divided  in  the  middle.  The  tight-fitting 
doublet  was  short  and  circled  at  the  waist  by  a  buff 
belt  mounted  in  silver,  and  was  of  the  same  colors 
as  the  hose  and  trunks.  On  his  head  was  a  cap, 
peaked  in  front ;  this  was  of  maroon,  with  a  short 
erect  feather  of  yellow.  The  long-pointed  shoes 
matched  the  rest  of  the  costume.  There  were  three 
other  suits  similar  in  fashion,  but  different  in  color ; 
two  like  the  first  were  of  cloth,  the  third  was  of 
white  and  blue  silk,  to  be  worn  on  grand  occasions. 

"  You  look  a  very  pretty  figure,  Walter,"  Geoffrey 
said,  "  and  will  be  able  to  hold  your  own  among  the 
young  gallants  of  the  court.  If  you  lack  somewhat 
of  courtly  manners  it  will  matter  not  at  all,  since  3^ou 
are  leaving  so  soon  for  the  wars.  The  dress  sets  off 
your  figure,  which  is  fully  two  years  in  advance  of 
your  age,  seeing  that  hard  work  has  widened  you 
out  and  thickened  your  muscles.  I  need  not  tell 
you,  lad,  not  to  be  quarrelsome,  for  that  was  never 
your  way  ;  but  just  at  first  your  companions  may 
try  some  jests  with  you,  as  is  always  the  manner  of 
young  men  with  new-comers,  but  take  them  in  a 
good  spirit,  and  be  sure  that,  seeing  the  strength  of 
arm  and  skill  which  you  showed  yesterday  and  the 
day  before,  none  will  care  to  push  matters  with  you 
unduly." 

One  of  the  journeymen  accompanied  Walter  to 
Westminster  to  carry  up  from  the  boat  the  valise 
with  his  clothes  and  the  armor  which  he  had  worn 


130  ST.  GEOROE  FOB  ENGLAND, 

in  the  sports.  Sir  Walter  received  the  lad  with 
much  kindness  and  introduced  him  to  his  future 
companions.  They  were  five  in  number  ;  the  eldest 
was  a  man  of  some  thirty  years  old,  a  Hainaulter, 
who  had  accompanied  Sir  Walter  Manny  to  Eng- 
land at  the  time  when  the  latter  first  came  over  as 
a  young  squire  in  the  suit  of  the  Princess  Philippa. 
He  was  devotedly  attached  to  the  knight,  his  mas- 
ter, and  although  he  might  several  times  have  re- 
ceived the  rank  of  knighthood  for  his  bravery  in  the 
field,  he  preferred  remaining  in  his  position  as 
esquire  and  faithful  friend  of  his  master. 

The  other  four  were  between  the  ages  of  nineteen 
and  twenty-one,  an,d  all  belonged  to  the  families  of 
the  highest  nobility  of  England,  it  being  deemed  a 
distinguished  honor  to  be  received  as  a  squire  by  the 
most  ^gallant  knight  at  the  court  of  England,  Their 
duties  were,  as  Walter  soon  learned,  almost  nominal, 
these  being  discharged  almost  exclusively  by  John 
Mervaux.  Two  of  the  young  esquires,  Richard 
Coningsby  and  Edward  Clifford,  had  fought  in  the 
melee,  having  been  among  the  ten  leaders  under 
Clarence  Aylmer.  They  bore  no  malice  for  the 
defeat,  but  received  Walter  with  cordiality  and 
kindness,  as  did  the  other  young  men.  Walter  on 
his  arrival  acquainted  the  knight  with  Ealph's  wish 
to  follow  him,  and  requested  permission  for  him  to 
do  so.  This  was  readily  granted,  Sir  Walter  Man- 
ny telling  the  lad  that  although  esquires  were  sup- 
posed to  wait  entirely  upon  themselves,  to  groom 
their  horses,  and  keep  their  armor  and  arms  bright 


ST.  GEOBQE  FOB  ENGLAND,  121 

and  in  good  order,  yet,  in  point  of  fact,  young 
men  of  good  families  had  the  greater  part  of  these 
duties  performed  for  them  by  a  retainer  who  rode 
in  the  ranks  of  their  master^s  following  as  a  man-at- 
arms. 

"  The  other  esquires  have  each  one  of  their 
father's  retainers  with  them,  and  I  am  glad  that 
you  should  be  in  the  same  position.  After  you  have 
taken  your  midday  meal  you  had  best  go  across  to 
the  Earl  of  Talbot's  and  inquire  for  the  Lady  Yer- 
non,  who  is  still  staying  with  him.  She  told  me  at 
the  king's  ball  last  night  that  she  wished  to  have 
speech  with  you,  and  I  promised  to  acquaint  you 
with  her  desire.  By  the  way,  dost  know  aught  of 
riding  ?" 

"  I  have  learned  to  sit  on  a  horse.  Sir  Walter," 
the  lad  answered.  "  My  good  friend  Geoffrey,  the 
armorer,  advised  that  I  should  learn,  and  frequently 
hired  from  the  horse  dealer  an  animal  for  my  use. 
I  have  ofteu  backed  half-broken  horses  which  were 
brought  up  by  graziers  from  Kent  and  Sussex  for 
use  in  the  wars.  Manj''  of  them  abode  at  the  hostels 
at  Southwark,  and  willingly  enough  granted  me 
permission  to  ride  their  horses  until  they  were  sold. 
Thus  I  have  had  a  good  deal  of  practice,  and  that 
of  a  rough  kind ;  and  seeing  that  latterly  the 
horses  have,  for  the  most  part,  found  it  difficult 
to  fling  me  when  sitting  barebacked  across  them, 
1  think  I  could  keep  my  seat  in  the  high-peaked 
saddles  on  the  most  vicious,  but  I  have  had  no 
practice  at  tilting,  or  at  the  ring,  or  other  knightly 


122  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

"  That  matters  not  at  all,"  the  knight  said.  "  All 
these  knightly  exercises  which  you  speak  of  are 
good  in  time  of  peace,  for  they  give  proficiency  and 
steadiness,  but  in  time  of  war  he  who  can  sit  firmly 
in  his  saddle  and  wield  sword  and  battle-ax  lustily 
and  skillfully  is  equal  to  the  best ;  but  never  fear, 
when  this  expedition  is  over,  and  we  have  time  for 
such  things,  1  will  see  that  you  are  instructed  in 
them.  One  who  has  achieved  so  much  martial  skill 
as  you  have  done  at  so  early  an  age  will  have  little 
difficulty  in  acquiring  what  may  be  termed  the  pas- 
time of  chivalry." 

Ralph  arrived  just  as  Walter  was  setting  out. 
The  latter  presented  him  to  the  knight,  who  spoke 
with  praise  of  the  gallantry  which  he  had  displayed 
on  the  previous  day,  and  then  handed  him  over  to 
John  Mervaux,  with  instructions  to  enroll  him  as  a 
man-at-arms  among  his  followers,  to  inform  him  of 
his  duties,  and  to  place  him  with  those  who  attended 
upon  the  other  esquires. 

After  seeing  E-alph  disposed  of,  Walter  went 
across  to  the  Earl  of  Talbot  and  was  again  con- 
ducted to  the  presence  of  Dame  Yernon. 

"  You  have  changed  since  we  met  last,  young 
sir,"  she  said  with  a  smile, "  though  it  is  but  a  month 
since.  Then  you  were  a  'prentice  boy,  now  you  are 
an  esquire  of  Sir  Walter  Manny,  and  on  the  highway 
to  distinction.  That  you  will  win  it  I  am  well  as- 
sured, since  one  who  risked  his  life  to  rescue  a 
woman  and  child  whose  very  names  were  unknown 
to  him  is  sure  to  turn  out  a  noble  and  valiant  knight. 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  123 

I  little  thought,  when  my  daughter  called  you  her 
knight,  that  in  so  short  a  time  you  might  become  an 
aspirant  to  that  honor.  I  hope  that  you  do  not 
look  askance  at  us,  now  that  you  know  I  am  in  pos- 
session of  the  lands  of  your  parents.  Such  changes 
of  land,  you  know,  often  occur,  but  now  I  know 
who  you  are,  I  would  that  the  estates  bestowed 
upon  Sir  Jasper  had  belonged  to  some  other  than 
you  ;  however,  I  trust  that  you  will  hold  no  grudge 
against  us,  and  that  you  may  win  as  fair  an  estate 
by  the  strength  of  your  arm  and  the  king's  favor." 

"  Assuredly  1  feel  no  grudge,  madam,"  Walter 
replied,  "  and  since  the  lands  were  forfeited,  I  am 
pleased  that  of  all  people  they  should  have  gone  to 
one  so  kind  and  so  fair  as  yourself." 

"What,  learning  to  be  a  flatterer  already !"  Dame 
Yernon  laughed.  "  You  are  coming  on  fast,  and  I 
predict  great  things  from  you.  And  now,  Edith,  lay 
aside  that  sampler  you  are  pretending  to  be  so  busy 
upon  and  speak  to  this  knight  of  yours." 

Edith  laid  down  her  work  and  came  forward. 
She  was  no  longer  the  dignified  little  queen  of  the 
tournament,  but  a  laughing,  bright-faced  girl. 

"I  don't  see  that  you  are  changed,"  she  said, 
"  except  in  your  dress.  You  speak  softly  and  natu- 
rally, just  as  you  used  to  do,  and  not  a  bit  like  those 
little  court  fops.  Uncle  Talbot's  pages.  I  am  afraid 
you  will  not  be  my  knight  any  more,  now  that  you 
are  going  to  get  great  honors  at  the  war ;  for  I 
heard  my  Uncle  Talbot  tell  my  lady  mother  that  he 
was  sure  you  would  gain  great  credit  for  yourself." 


124  -Sr.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"  I  shall  be  always  your  knight/'  Walter  said 
earnestly ;  "  I  told  j^ou  1  should,  and  I  never 
break  my  word.  That  is,"  he  went  on,  coloring, 
"  if  Dame  Yernon  makes  no  objection,  as  she  well 
might." 

"  If  I  did  not  object  before,  Walter,"  she  said, 
smiling,  ''  why  should  I  do  so  now?" 

"  It  is  different,  my  lady  ;  before,  it  was  somewhat 
of  a  jest,  a  sort  of  childish  play  on  the  part  of 
Mistress  Edith,  though  so  far  as  I  was  concerned  it 
was  no  play,  but  sober  earnest." 

"  It  needs  no  permission  from  me,"  Dame  Yernon 
replied,  "for  you  to  wear  my  daughter's  colors. 
Any  knight  may  proclaim  any  lady  he  chooses  the 
mistress  of  his  heart,  and  a  reigning  beauty  will 
often  have  a  dozen  young  knights  who  wear  her 
colors.  However,  I  am  well  content  that  one  who 
has  done  me  such  great  service  and  who  has  shown 
such  high  promise  should  be  the  first  to  wear  the 
gage  of  my  little  daughter,  and  if  in  after-years 
your  life  fulfills  the  promise  of  your  youth,  and  you 
remain  true  to  her  gage,  there  is  none  among  all 
the  youths  of  the  court  whom  I  would  so  gladly  see 
at  her  feet.  Remember,"  she  said  as  Walter  was 
about  to  speak,  "  her  hand  will  not  be  at  my  dis- 
posal, but  at  that  of  the  king.  His  majesty  is  wont 
to  bestow  the  hands  of  his  wards  upon  those  who 
most  distinguish  themselves  in  the  field.  You  have 
already  attracted  his  royal  attention  and  commenda- 
tion. Under  Sir  Walter  Manny  you  will  be  sure  of 
opportunities  of  distinguishing  yourself,  and  the 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  125 

king  may  well  be  glad  some  day  at  once  to  reward 
3^our  services  and  to  repair  a  cruel  injustice  by 
bestowing  upon  you  the  hand  of  the  heiress  of  your 
father's  lands.  If  I  mistake  not,  such  a  thought 
has  even  now  crossed  his  majesty's  mind,  unless  I 
misinterpreted  a  glance  which  yesterday  passed 
between  him  and  our  sweet  queen.  I  need  not  tell 
you  to  speak  of  your  hopes  to  none,  but  let  them 
spur  you  to  higher  exertions  and  nobler  efforts. 
Loving  my  little  Edith  as  I  do,  I  naturally  consider 
the  prize  to  be  a  high  one.  I  have  often  been 
troubled  by  the  thought  that  her  hand  may  be 
some  day  given  to  one  by  years  or  temper  unsuited 
for  her,  and  it  will  be  a  pleasure  to  me  henceforth 
to  picture  her  future  connected  with  one  who  is,  I 
am  sure,  by  heart  and  nature  fitted  for  her.  And 
now,  farewell,  young  sir.  May  God  protect  you  in 
the  field,  and  may  you  carry  in  the  battle  which 
awaits  you  the  gage  of  my  daughter  as  fairly  and 
successfully  as  you  did  in  the  mimic  fray  of  yester- 
day !" 


126  ^^.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTEE  YIII. 

OFF     TO     THE    WAE8. 

Two  days  later  Walter  started  with  Sir  Walter 
Manny,  with  a  large  number  of  knights,  squires, 
men-at-arms,  and  archers,  for  the  Orwell.  Walter 
was  mounted,  as  were  the  other  squires  and  men-at- 
arms,  and  indeed  many  of  the  archers.  Ralph 
Smith,  in  the  attire  of  a  man-at-arms,  rode  behind. 

Walter  was  in  the  highest  spirits.  A  brilliant 
career  was  open  to  him  under  the  most  favorable 
circumstances  ;  he  had  already  distinguished  him- 
self, and  had  gained  the  attention  of  the  highest 
personages  in  the  realm,  his  immediate  lord  was 
one  of  the  bravest  and  most  chivalrous  knights  in 
Europe,  and  he  had  to  sustain  and  encourage  him 
the  hopes  that  Lady  Yernon  had  given  him  of  re- 
gaining some  day  the  patrimony  of  his  father.  It 
was  a  satisfaction  to  him  that  he  was  as  well  born 
as  those  who  surrounded  him,  and  his  purse  was  as 
well  lined  as  any  in  the  company.  Although  he 
had  spent  the  largess  which  had  been  bestowed  upon 
him  at  the  tournament  in  procuring  clothes  fitted 
for  his  rank,  he  was  yet  abundantly  supplied  with 
money,  for  both  Geoffrey  Ward  and  Giles  Fletcher, 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  127 

having  no  children  of  their  own  and  being  both 
well-to-do  men,  had  insisted  upon  his  accepting  a 
sum  which  would  enable  him  to  make  a  good  appear- 
ance  with  the  best. 

A  large  number  of  squires  followed  the  banner  of 
Sir  Walter  Manny.  The  records  of  the  time  show 
that  the  barons  were  generally  accompanied  in  the 
field  by  almost  as  many  squires  as  men-at-arms. 
The  former  were  men  of  good  family,  sons  of 
knights  and  nobles,  aspirants  for  the  honor  of 
knighthood,  and  sons  of  the  smaller  gentry.  Many 
were  there  from  pure  love  of  a  life  of  excitement 
and  adventure,  others  in  fulfillment  of  the  feudal 
tenure  by  which  all  land  was  then  held,  each  noble 
and  landowner  being  obliged  to  furnish  so  many 
knights,  squires,  men-at-arms,  and  archers,  in 
accordance  with  the  size  of  his  holding.  The 
squires  fought  in  the  field  in  the  front  rank  of  the 
men-at-arms,  save  those  who,  like  Walter,  were 
attached  to  the  person  of  their  leader,  and  who  in 
the  field  fought  behind  him  or  bore  his  orders  to  the 
companies  under  his  banner. 

In  the  field  all  drew  pay,  and  it  may  be  interesting 
in  the  present  day  to  know  what  were  the  rates  for 
which  our  forefathers  risked  their  lives.  They  were 
as  follows :  Each  horse  archer  received  6  deniers, 
each  squire  12  deniers  or  1  sol,  each  knight  2  sols, 
each  knight  banneret  4  sols ;  20  sols  went  to  the 
pound,  and  although  the  exact  value  of  money  in 
those  days  relative  to  that  which  it  bears  at  the 
present  time  is  doubtful,  it  may  be  placed  at  twelve 


128  ^T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

times  the  present  value.  Therefore  each  horse 
archer  received  an  equivalent  to  6,9.  a  day,  each 
squire  125.,  each  knight  24^.,  and  each  knight  ban- 
neret 48^.  per  day. 

Upon  their  arrival  at  the  Orwell,  where  many 
troops  from  other  parts  had  been  gathered,  the  ex- 
pedition at  once  embarked  on  board  the  numerous 
ships  which  had  been  collected.  As  that  in  which 
Sir  Walter  sailed  also  carried  several  of  his  knights 
there  was  not  room  for  all  his  young  esquires,  and 
Walter  and  the  three  other  juniors  were  told  off 
into  another  ship.  She  was  a  smaller  vessel  than 
most  of  those  which  composed  the  expediton,  and 
only  carried  twelve  men-at-arms  and  as  many 
archers,  together  with  the  four  young  squires,  and 
a  knight,  Sir  John  Powis,  who  was  in  command  of 
the  whole. 

"  Your  craft  is  but  a  small  one,"  the  knight  said 
to  the  captain. 

"  She  is  small,  but  she  is  fast,"  the  latter  an- 
swered. ^'  She  would  sail  round  and  round  the  best 
part  of  the  fleet.  I  had  her  built  according  to  my 
own  fancy.  Small  though  she  be,  I  warrant  you  she 
will  be  one  of  the  first  to  arrive  at  Hennebon,  and 
the  sooner  the  better  say  I,  since  I  am  but  paid  by 
the  trip,  and  would  fain  be  back  again  at  my  regular 
work.  It  pays  better  carrying  merchants'  goods 
between  London  and  Holland  than  taking  his 
majesty's  troops  over  to  France." 

"Your  speed  will  not  be  of  much  avail,"  Sir 
John  Powis  said,  "seeing  that  the  fleet  will  keep 
together." 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND  129 

"  Yes,  I  know  that  is  the  order,"  the  captain  an- 
swered ;  "  but  accidents  happen  sometimes,  you 
know  " — and  his  eye  twinkled.  "  Vessels  get  sepa- 
rated from  fleets.  If  they  happen  to  be  slow  ones,  so 
much  the  worse  for  those  on  board ;  if  they  happen 
to  be  fast  ones^  so  much  the  better,  seeing  that  those 
they  carry  will  arrive  long  before  their  comrades, 
and  may  be  enabled  to  gain  credit  and  renown  while 
the  others  are  whistling  for  a  wind  in  mid-ocean. 
However,  we  shall  see." 

The  next  morning  the  fleet  sailed  from  the  Or- 
well. It  contained  620  men-at-arms,  among  whom 
were  many  of  the  noblest  and  bravest  of  the  country, 
and  6,000  picked  archers  in  the  pay  of  the  king. 
The  whole  were  commanded  by  Sir  Walter.  The 
scene  was  a  very  gay  one.  The  banners  of  the 
nobles  and  knights  floated  from  the  lofty  poops,  and 
the  sun  shone  on  bright  armor  and  steel  weapons. 
"Walter,  who  had  never  seen  the  sea  before,  was 
delighted.  The  wind  was  fair,  and  the  vessels 
glided  smoothly  along  over  the  sea.  At  evening  the 
knight  and  his  four  young  companions  gathered  in 
the  little  cabin,  for  it  was  in  the  first  week  in  March, 
and  the  night  was  cold. 

"  Will  you  please  tell  me,  Sir  John,"  Walter  said 
to  the  knight,  "the  merits  of  this  quarrel  in  which 
we  are  going  to  fight  ?  I  know  that  we  are  going 
in  aid  of  the  Countess  of  Montford  ;  but  why  she 
is  in  a  sore  strait  I  know  not." 

"  The  matter  is  a  mixed  one,  Walter,  and  it  re- 
quires a  herald  to  tell  you  all  the  subtleties  of  it. 


130  ST.  OEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

John  III.,  Duke  of  Brittany,  was  present  with  his 
liege  lord,  Philip  of  Yalois,  in  the  last  war  with 
England,  on  the  borderof  the  Low  Country.  When 
the  English  retired  from  before  Tournay  Philip  dis- 
missed his  nobles.  The  Duke  of  Burgundy  was 
taken  ill,  and  died  at  Caen,  in  Normandy,  on  the 
30th  of  April,  1341.  Arthur  II.,  his  father,  had 
been  twice  married.  By  his  first  wife  he  had  three 
sons,  John,  Guy,  and  Peter.  John  and  Peter  left 
no  issue.  Guy,  who  is  also  dead,  left  a  daughter, 
Joan.  By  his  second  wife,  Jolande  de  Dieux,  Duke 
Arthur  had  one  son,  John,  Count  of  Montford, 
Thus  it  happened  that  when  Duke  John  died  his 
half-brother,  the  Count  of  Montford,  and  Joan, 
daughter  of  his  second  brother  Guy,  were  all  that 
survived  of  the  family.  These  were  the  rival  claim- 
ants for  the  vacant  dukedom.  In  England  we  have 
but  one  law  of  succession,  which  rules  through  the 
whole  land.  In  France  it  is  different.  There  the 
law  of  succession  depends  entirely  upon  the  custom 
of  the  county,  dukedom,  or  lordship,  which  is 
further  affected  both  by  the  form  of  grant  by  which 
the  territory  was  conveyed  to  its  first  feudal  pos- 
sessors and  by  the  mode  in  which  the  province  had 
been  acquired  by  the  kings  of  France.  This  is  im- 
portant, as  upon  these  circumstances  alone  it 
depended  whether  the  son  or  the  granddaughter  of 
Arthur  II.  should  inherit  the  dukedom. 

"  Joan  claimed  the  duchy  as  the  daughter  of  the 
elder  brother.  The  Salic  law  of  France,  which 
barred  females  from  the  right  of  succession,  and  in 


ST.  GEOR&E  FOR  ENGLAND.  131 

virtue  of  which  Philip  of  Yalois  succeeded  to  the 
throne  instead  of  King  Edward,  certainly  did  not 
obtain  in  Brittany.  Duke  John  regarded  Joan  as 
his  heiress,  and  married  her  to  Charles  of  Blois, 
nephew  of  the  King  of  France,  thus  strengthening 
her  in  her  position  ;  and  he  also  induced  the  pro- 
vincial parliament  of  Brittany  to  acknowledge  her 
husband  as  his  successor  in  the  dukedom.  Alto- 
gether it  would  seem  that  right  is  upon  Joan's  side ; 
but,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Count  of  Montford  is 
the  son  of  Jolande,  a  great  heiress  in  Brittany.  He 
is  an  active  and  energetic  noble.  The  Bretons  love 
not  too  close  a  connection  with  France,  and  assur- 
edly prefer  to  be  ruled  by  a  duke  whom  they  regard 
as  one  of  themselves  rather  than  by  Charles  of 
Blois,  nephew  of  the  French  king.  Directly  Duke 
John  was  dead  the  Count  of  Montford  claimed  the 
inheritance.  Assuming  the  title  of  duke  he  rode  to 
I^antes,  where  the  citizens  did  him  homage,  and 
then  proceeded  to  Limoges  with  a  large  train  of 
men-at-arms,  and  there  took  possession  of  the  im- 
mense treasures  which  the  late  duke  had  accumu- 
lated in  the  course  of  a  long  and  tranquil  reign. 
With  these  sinews  of  war  at  his  command  he 
returned  to  Nantes,  where  he  had  left  his  wife  the 
countess,  who  was  a  sister  of  the  Count  of  Flanders. 
He  immediately  invited  the  nobility  of  Brittany  to 
a  grand  banquet,  but  only  one  knight  of  any  renown 
presented  himself  at  the  feast,  the  rest  all  holding 
aloof.  With  the  wealth  of  which  he  had  possessed 
himself  he  levied  large  forces  and  took  the  field.  He 


132  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

first  marched  against  Brest,  where  the  garrison,  com- 
manded by  Walter  de  Clisson,  refused  to  acknowl- 
edge him.  After  three  days'  hard  fighting  the 
place  was  taken.  Kennes  was  next  besieged,  and 
presently  surrendered.  Other  towns  fell  into  his 
hands,  and  so  far  as  Brittany  was  concerned  all  op- 
position, except  in  one  or  two  fortresses,  ceased. 
In  the  mean  while  Charles  of  Blois  sought  assistance 
from  his  uncle  the  King  of  France  ;  the  Count  de 
Montford,  therefore,  crossed  to  England  and  be- 
sought the  aid  of  King  Edward,  and  did  homage  to 
him  as  King  of  France.  Edward,  on  his  part,  prom- 
ised to  assist  him.  The  fact  that  Philip  was  sure  to 
espouse  the  opposite  side  was  in  itself  sufficient  to 
decide  him ;  besides  which,  the  dukes  of  Brittany 
have  always  been  in  a  special  way  connected  with 
England  and  bear  the  English  title  of  Earl  of  Eich- 
mond. 

"  Believing  that  his  journey,  which  had  been  a 
secret  one,  was  unknown  to  the  King  of  France,  De 
Montford  went  boldly  to  Paris,  where  he  had  been 
summoned  by  the  king  to  an  assembly  of  peers 
called  to  decide  upon  the  succession.  He  found, 
however,  that  Philip  had  already  obtained  news  of 
his  journey  to  England.  His  manner  convinced  De 
Montford  that  it  w^as  unsafe  to  remain  in  Paris,  and 
he  secretly  made  his  escape.  Fifteen  days  after- 
ward the  peers  gave  judgment  in  favor  of  Charles 
of  Blois.  The  Dukes  of  Normandy,  Burgundy,  and 
Bourbon,  the  Counts  of  Alen^on,  Eu,  and  Guisnes, 
and  many  other  French  nobles,  prepared  to  lead  an 


BT.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND  13B 

army  into  the  field  to  support  Charles,  and  the 
king  added  a  body  of  3,000  Genoese  mercenaries  in 
his  pay. 

"  Knowing  the  storm  that  was  preparing  to 
break  upon  him,  De  Montford  put  every  town  and 
castle  in  a  state  of  defense.  He  himself,  confiding 
in  the  affection  of  the  inhabitants  of  l^antes,  re- 
mained in  that  city,  while  his  wife  repaired  to 
Rennes. 

"  The  Duke  of  Normandy  advanced  from  An- 
glers with  an  army  of  5,000  men-at-arms  and  a 
numerous  infantry,  and  after  capturing  the  castle 
of  Chantoceaux  marched  to  Nantes  and  laid  siege 
to  the  city.  A  sortie  was  made  by  the  besieged, 
led  by  Henry  de  Leon,  but,  being  attacked  by  the 
whole  of  the  French  army,  they  were  driven  back 
into  the  town,  a  great  many  of  the  citizens  being 
killed.  A  warm  altercation  took  place  between 
Henry  de  Leon  and  De  Montford,  who  attributed 
to  him  the  evil  result  of  the  sortie.  The  result  w^as 
that  a  large  number  of  the  citizens  whose  friends 
had  been  captured  by  the  French  conspired  to 
deliver  up  the  place  to  Charles  of  Blois,  and  Heni*y 
de  Leon  also  entered  into  private  negotiations  with 
the  Duke  of  Normandy.  De  Montford,  finding 
that  he  could  rely  neither  upon  the  citizens  nor  the 
soldiers,  surrendered  to  the  duke  on  condition  that 
his  life  was  spared.  He  was  sent  to  Paris,  where 
he  still  remains  a  prisoner.  Winter  was  coming  on, 
and  after  putting  Nantes  in  a  fresh  state  of  defense 
and  leaving  Charles  of  Blois  there,  the  Duke  of 


134  ST,  OEOUGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

l^ormandy  dismissed  his  forces,  engaging  them  to 
reassemble  in  the  spring.  Had  he  pushed  on  at 
once  he  would  have  experienced  no  resistance,  so 
great  was  the  panic  which  the  surrender  of  Nantes 
and  the  capture  of  De  Montford  had  caused  among 
the  latter's  partisans. 

"In  Rennes  especially  the  deepest  despondency 
was  felt.  The  countess,  however,  showed  the 
greatest  courage  and  firmness.  Showing  herself, 
with  her  infant  in  her  arms,  she  appealed  to  the 
citizens,  and  by  her  courageous  bearing  inspired 
them  with  new  hopes.  Having  restored  heart  at 
Rennes  she  traveled  from  garrison  to  garrison 
throughout  the  province,  and  filled  all  with  vigor 
and  resolution.  Feeling,  however,  the  hopelessness 
of  her  struggle  against  all  France,  she  dispatched 
Sir  Almeric  de  Clisson,  who  had  lately  joined  her 
party,  to  England,  to  ask  the  aid  Avhich  the  king 
had  promised.  He  arrived  a  month  since,  and,  as 
you  see,  our  brave  king  has  not  been  long  in  dis- 
patching us  to  her  aid ;  and  now,  youngsters,  to 
bed,  for  methinks  that  the  sea  is  rougher  than  it 
was  and  that  the  wind  is  getting  up.'' 

"  Ay,  that  is  it,"  the  captain,  who  heard  the 
knight's  closing  words,  exclaimed.  "  We  are  in 
for  a  storm,  and  a  heavy  one,  or  my  name  is  not 
Timothy  Martin,  and  though  with  plenty  of  sea- 
room  the  Kitty  makes  not  much  ado  about  a  storm 
more  or  less,  it's  a  yqyj  different  thing  in  the 
middle  of  a  fleet  of  lubberly  craft,  which  may  run 
one  down  at  any  time.  I  shall  edge  out  of  them  as 
soon  as  T  can,  you  may  be  sure." 


8T.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND,  135 

Before  morning  a  serious  gale  was  blowing,  and 
for  the  next  three  or  four  days  Walter  and  his 
companions  knew  nothing  of  what  was  going  on. 
Then  the  storm  abated,  and  they  staggered  out 
from  their  cabin.  The  sea  was  still  high,  but  the 
sun  shone  brightly  overhead.  In  front  of  them  the 
land  was  visible.  They  looked  round,  but  to  their 
astonishment  not  a  sail  was  in  sight. 

"  Why,  where  is  the  fleet  ?"  Walter  exclaimed  in 
astonishment. 

"  Snug  in  the  Thames,  I  reckon,"  the  captain  said. 
"  Soon  after  the  storm  came  on  one  of  the  sailors 
pretended  he  saw  the  lights  of  recall  on  the  admi- 
ral's ship  ;  but  I  was  too  busy  to  look  that  way  ;  I  had 
enough  to  do  to  look  after  the  safety  of  the  ship. 
Anyhow,  I  saw  no  more  of  them." 

"  And  what  land  is  that  ahead  ?"  Walter  asked. 

"  That  is  Brittany,  young  sir,  and  before  nightfall 
we  shall  be  in  the  port  of  Hennebon ;  as  to  the 
others,  it  may  be  days  and  it  may  be  weeks  before 
they  arrive." 

The  lads  were  not  sorry  at  the  chance  which  had 
taken  them  to  their  destination  before  their  com- 
panions and  had  given  them  a  chance  of  distinguish- 
ing themselves.  Late  in  the  afternoon  the  ship 
dropped  anchor  off  the  castle  of  Hennebon,  and  Sir 
John  Powis  and  his  following  were  conveyed  in 
the  ship's  boats  to  shore.  The  countess  received 
them  most  graciously,  and  was  delighted  at  th<3 
news  that  so  strong  a  force  was  on  its  way  to  h^r 
aid. 


136  ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

"  In  the  absence  of  Sir  Walter  Manny,  madam,  I 
place  myself  and  my  men  at  your  orders.  Our 
horses  will  be  landed  the  first  thing  in  the  morning, 
and  we  will  then  ride  whithersoever  you  may  bid 
us." 

"  Tha^nks,  Sir  John,"  the  countess  replied.  "  In 
that  case  I  would  that  you  ride  by  Eennes,  toward 
which  the  army  of  the  Duke  of  Normandy  is  already 
advancing.  The  garrison  there  is  commanded  by 
Sir  William  of  Caddo udal,  a  good  and  valiant 
knight." 

The  horses  were  landed  on  the  following  morning, 
and  accompanied  by  the  four  young  squires  and  the 
men-at-arms,  and  followed  hj  the  twenty  archers  on 
foot,  Sir  John  Powis  set  out  for  Eennes.  They 
arrived  there,  but  just  in  time,  for  the  assailants 
were  closing  round  the  city.  They  were  received 
with  the  greatest  cordiality  by  the  governor,  who 
assigned  apartments  to  Sir  John  and  the  squires,  and 
lodged  the  men-at-arms  and  archers  near  them. 

In  a  day  or  two  the  whole  of  the  French  army 
came  up,  and  the  siege  commenced.  Sir  John 
Powis,  his  own  request,  was  posted  with  his  men 
for  the  defense  of  a  portion  of  the  wall  which  was 
especially  open  to  the  assaults  of  the  enemy.  These 
soon  commenced  in  earnest,  and  the  Genoese  and 
Spanish  mercenaries  endeavored  to  carry  the  place 
by  assault.  Sometimes  one  point  would  be  attacked, 
at  others  points  far  distant.  Covered  by  the  fire 
of  the  French  cross-bowmen,  the  Spaniards  and 
Germans  came  on  to  the  assault,  carrying  ladders, 


ST,  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  137 

with  which  they  strove  to  climb  the  walls,  but  the 
defenders  plied  them  so  vigorously  with  quarrels 
from  their  cross-bows  and  flio-hts  of  arrows  that 
they  frequently  desisted  before  reaching  the  walls. 
When  they  pushed  on,  and  strove  to  ascend,  their 
luck  was  no  better.  Great  stones  were  hurled  down, 
and  boiling  oil  poured  upon  them.  The  ladders 
were  flung  back,  and  many  crushed  by  the  fall,  and 
in  none  of  the  assaults  did  they  gain  any  footing  in 
the  town.  Machines  were  used,  but  these  were  not 
sufficiently  powerful  to  batter  down  the  walls,  and 
at  the  end  of  April  the  city  was  as  far  from  being 
captured  as  it  was  on  the  day  of  the  commencement 
of  the  siege. 

Walter  bore  his  full  share  in  the  fighting,  but  he 
had  no  opportunity  of  especially  distinguishing 
himself,  although  Sir  John  several  times  commend- 
ed him  for  his  coolness  when  the  bolts  of  the  cross- 
bowmen  and  the  stones  from  the  machines  were 
flying  most  thickly.  But  although  as  yet  uninjured 
by  the  enemy's  attacks,  the  prospect  of  the  city 
holding  out  was  not  bright.  The  burghers,  who 
had  at  first  fought  valiantly,  were  soon  wearied  of 
the  strife,  and  of  the  hardships  it  entailed  upon 
them.  The  siege  had  continued  but  a  short  time 
when  they  began  to  murmur  loudly.  The  force 
under  the  command  of  the  governor  was  but  a 
small  one,  and  it  would  have  been  impossible  for 
him  to  resist  the  will  of  the  whole  population.  For 
a  time  his  exhortations  and  entreaties  were  attend- 
ed with  success,  and  the  burghers  returned  to  their 


138  ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND, 

positions  on  the  walls;  but  each  time  the  difficulty 
became  greater,  and  it  was  clear  to  Caddoudal  and 
Sir  John  Powis  that  ere  long  the  citizens  would 
surrender  the  place  in  spite  of  them.  The  English 
knight  was  furious  at  the  cowardliness  of  the  citi- 
zens, and  proposed  to  the  governor  to  summon 
twenty  of  the  leading  burghers,  and  to  hang  them 
as  a  lesson  to  the  others ;  but  the  governor  shook 
his  head. 

"  I  have  but  two  hundred  men  on  whom  I  can 
rely,  including  your  following.  Sir  John.  We  could 
not  keep  down  the  inhabitants  for  an  hour ;  and 
were  we  to  try  to  do  so,  they  would  open  the  gates 
and  let  in  the  French.  No  ;  I  fear  that  we  must 
await  the  end." 

The  following  morning  Sir  John  was  awoke  with 
the  news  that  in  the  night  Caddoudal  had  been 
seized  and  thrown  into  prison  by  the  burghers,  and 
that  a  deputation  of  citizens  had  already  gone  out 
through  the  gate  to  treat  with  the  Duke  of  I^or- 
mandy  for  the  surrender  of  the  city. 

The  English  knight  was  furious,  but  with  his 
little  band  he  could  do  nothing,  especially  as  he 
found  that  a  strong  guard  of  burghers  had  been 
placed  at  the  door  of  the  apartments  occupied  by 
him  and  the  esquires,  and  he  was  informed  that  he 
must  consider  himself  a  prisoner  until  the  con- 
clusion of  the  negotiations. 

Cowardly  and  faithless  as  the  burghers  of  Eennes 
showed  themselves  to  be,  they  nevertheless  stipu- 
lated with  the  Duke  of  Normandy,  as  one  of  the 


ST.  OEOBGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  139 

conditions  of  the  surrender,  that  Caddoudal,  Sir 
John  Powis,  and  the  troops  under  them  should  be 
permitted  to  pass  through  the  French  lines  and  go 
whithersoever  they  would.  These  terms  were  ac- 
cepted. At  mid-day  the  governor  was  released, 
and  he  with  his  men-at-arms  and  the  band  of  Eng- 
lishmen tiled  out  from  the  city  gate,  and  took  their 
way  unmolested  through  the  lines  of  the  French 
army  to  Hennebon. 

They  had  been  for  a  month  in  ignorance  of  all 
that  had  passed  outside  the  walls,  and  had  from 
day  to  day  been  eagerl}^  looking  for  the  arrival  of 
Sir  Walter  Manny  with  his  army  to  their  relief. 
Once  past  the  French  lines  they  inquired  of  the 
peasantry,  and  heard  to  their  surprise  that  the 
English  fleet  had  not  3^et  arrived. 

"  We  were  in  luck  indeed,"  Walter  said  to  his 
companions,  "  that  Captain  Timothy  Martin  was  in 
a  hurry  to  get  back  to  his  tradings  with  the  Flem- 
ings. Had  he  not  been  so  we  should  all  this  time 
have  been  kicking  our  heels  and  fretting  on  board 
a  ship." 

On  nearing  Hennebon,  Sir  William  Caddoudal, 
with  Sir  John  Powis  and  the  squires,  rode  forward 
and  met  the  countess.  They  were  the  first  bearers 
of  the  news  of  the  surrender  of  Rennes,  and  the 
countess  was  filled  with  consternation  at  the  intelli- 
gence. However,  after  her  first  burst  of  indigna- 
tion and  regret  had  passed,  she  put  a  brave  face 
on  it. 

*'  They  shall  meet  with  another  reception  at  Hen- 


140  ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

nebon,"  she  said.  "  This  is  but  a  small  place,  and 
my  garrison  here,  and  the  soldiers  you  have  brought, 
will  well-nigh  outnumber  the  burghers ;  and  we 
need  have  no  fear  of  such  faint-heartedness  as  that 
which  has  given  ISTantes  and  Eennes  into  the  hands 
of  my  enemy.  The  English  aid  cannot  tarry  long. 
Until  it  come  we  can  assuredly  hold  the  place." 

All  was  now  bustle  in  Hennebon.  Sir  John 
Powis  took  charge  of  a  part  of  the  walls,  and  busied 
himself  with  his  men  in  placing  the  machines  in 
position,  and  in  preparing  for  defense.  The  count- 
ess, attired  in  armor,  rode  through  the  streets 
haranguing  the  townspeople.  She  urged  the  men 
to  fight  till  the  last,  and  bade  the  women  and  girls 
cut  short  their  dresses  so  that  they  could  the  better 
climb  the  steps  to  the  top  of  the  walls,  and  that 
one  and  all  should  carry  up  stones,  chalk,  and 
baskets  of  lime  to  be  cast  down  upon  the  assailants. 
Animated  by  her  words  and  gestures,  the  towns- 
people set  to  work,  and  all  vied  with  each  other, 
from  the  oldest  to  the  youngest,  in  carrying  up 
stores  of  missiles  to  the  walls,  l^ever  did  Henne 
bon  present  such  a  scene  of  life  and  bustle.  It 
seemed  like  an  ant-hill  which  a  passer-by  has  dis- 
turbed. 

Absorbed  in  their  work,  none  had  time  t9  think 
of  the  dangers  which  threatened  them,  and  a 
stranger  would  rather  have  thought  from  their 
cheerful  and  animated  countenances  that  they  were 
preparing  for  a  great  fete  than  for  a  siege  by  an 
army  to  which  the  two  chief  towns  in  Brittany  had 
succumbed.  I 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  141 

Ere  long  the  French  army  was  seen  approach- 
ing. The  soldiers,  who  had  been  laboring  with  the 
rest,  buckled  on  their  armor.  The  citizens  gathered 
on  the  walls  to  hurl  down  the  piles  of  stones  which 
had  been  collected,  and  all  prepared  for  the  assault. 

"  Sir  John  Powis,"  the  countess  said,  "  I  pray  you 
to  grant  me  one  of  your  esquires,  who  may  attend 
me  while  I  ride  about,  and  may  bear  my  messages 
for  me.  He  will  not  be  idle,  nor  will  he  escape  his 
share  of  the  dangers ;  for,  believe  me,  I  do  not  in- 
tend to  hide  myself  while  you  and  your  brave  sol- 
diers are  fighting  for  me." 

"  Willingly,  lady,"  Sir  John  answered.  "  Here  is 
Walter  Somers,  the  son  of  a  good  knight,  and  him- 
self brave  and  prudent  beyond  his  years  ;  he  will,  I 
am  sure,  gladly  devote  himself  to  your  service." 

The  French,  encouraged  by  their  successes, 
thought  that  it  would  be  a  comparatively  easy  task 
to  capture  so  small  a  place  as  Hennebon,  and  as 
soon  as  their  camp  was  pitched  they  moved  forward 
to  the  attack. 

"  Come  with  me.  Master  Somers,"  the  countess 
said.  ''  I  will  mount  to  one  of  the  watch-towers, 
where  we  may  see  all  that  passes." 

Walter  followed  her,  and  marveled  to  see  the 
lightness  and  agility  with  which  the  heroic  count- 
ess, although  clad  in  armor,  mounted  the  rickety 
ladders  to  the  summit  of  the  watch-tower.  The 
French  were  pressing  forward  to  the  assault ;  their 
cross-bowmen  opened  a  heavy  fire  upon  the  walls, 
which  was  answered  by  the  shafts  of  the  little  party 


142  ST.  QEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

of  English  bowmen.  These  did  mnch  execution,  for 
the  English  archers  shot  far  harder  and  straighter 
than  those  of  France,  and  it  was  only  the  best 
armor  which  could  keep  out  their  cloth-yard  shafts. 
So  small  a  body,  however,  could  not  check  the 
advance  of  so  large  a  force,  and  the  French  swarmed 
up  to  the  very  foot  of  the  walls. 

"  Well  done,  my  men !"  the  countess  exclaimed, 
clapping  her  hands  as  a  shower  of  heavy  rocks  fell 
among  the  mass  of  the  assailants,  who  were  striving 
to  plant  their  ladders,  crushing  many  in  their  fall ; 
"  but  you  are  not  looking,  Master  Somers.  What 
is  it  that  you  see  in  yonder  camp  to  withdraw  your 
attention  from  such  a  fight  f 

"  I  am  thinking,  countess,  that  the  French  have 
left  their  camp  altogether  unguarded,  and  that  if  a 
body  of  horse  could  make  a  circuit  and  fall  upon  it, 
the  camp,  with  all  its  stores,  might  be  destroyed 
before  they  could  get  back  to  save  it." 

"You  are  right,  young  sir,"  the  countess  ex- 
claimed, "and  it  shall  be  done  forthwith." 

So  saying,  she  descended  the  stairs  rapidly  and 
mounted  her  horse,  which  stood  at  the  foot  of  the 
tower ;  then  riding  through  the  town,  she  collected 
a  party  of  about  three  hundred  men,  bidding  all  she 
met  mount  their  horses  and  join  her  at  the  gate  on 
the  opposite  side  to  that  on  which  the  assault 
was '  taking  place.  Such  as  had  no  horses  she 
ordered  to  take  them  from  those  in  her  own  stables. 
Walter  was  mounted  on  one  of  the  best  of  the 
count's    chargers.      Immediately    the     force    was 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  143 

collected,  the  gate  was  opened  and  the  countess 
rode  forth  at  their  head.  Making  a  consider- 
able detour.,  the  party  rode  without  being  ob- 
served into  the  rear  of  the  French  camp.  Here 
only  a  few  servants  and  horse-boys  were  found ; 
these  were  at  once  killed  or  driven  out ;  then  all 
dismounting,  set  fire  to  the  tents  and  stores ;  and 
ere  the  French  were  aware  of  what  was  going  on, 
the  whole  of  their  camp  was  in  flames.  As  soon  as 
the  conflagration  was  perceived,  the  French  com- 
manders drew  off  their  men  from  the  attack,  and 
all  ran  at  full  speed  toward  the  camp. 

"  We  cannot  regain  the  town,"  the  countess  said ; 
"  we  will  ride  to  Auray  at  full  speed,  and  reenter 
the  castle  when  best  we  may." 

Don  Louis  of  Spain,  who  with  a  considerable 
following  was  fighting  in  the  French  ranks,  hearing 
from  the  flying  camp-followers  that  the  countess 
herself  was  at  the  head  of  the  party  which  had 
destroyed  the  camp,  instantly  mounted,  and  with  a 
large  number  of  horsemen  set  off  in  hot  pursuit.  A 
few  of  the  countess'  party  who  were  badly  mounted 
were  overtaken  and  slain,  but  the- rest  arrived  safely 
at  Auray,  when  the  gates  were  shut  in  the  face  of 
their  pursuers. 

The  blow  was  a  heavy  one  for  the  besiegers,  but 
they  at  once  proceeded  to  build  huts,  showing  that 
they  had  no  intention  of  relinquishing  the  siege. 
Spies  were  sent  from  Auray,  and  these  reported 
that  the  new  camp  was  established  on  the  site  of 
the  old  one,  and  that  the  French  evidently  intended 


144  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

to  renew  the  attack  upon  the  side  on  which  they 
had  first  commenced,  leaving  the  other  side  almost 
unwatched. 

Accordingly,  on  the  fifth  day  after  leaving  the 
town  the  countess  prepared  to  return.  Except 
Walter,  none  were  informed  of  her  intention,  as 
she  feared  that  news  might  be  taken  to  the  French 
camp  by  friends  of  Charles  of  Blois  ;  but  as  soon  as 
it  was  nightfull,  and  the  gates  were  shut,  the  trum- 
pet sounded  to  horse.  In  a  few  minutes  the  troop 
assembled  in  the  market-place,  and  the  countess, 
accompanied  by  Walter,  placing  herself  at  their 
head,  rode  out  from  the  town.  The  strictest  silence 
was  observed.  On  nearing  the  town  all  were 
directed  to  dismount,  to  tear  up  the  horse-cloths, 
and  to  muffle  the  feet  of  their  horses.  Then  the 
journey  was  resumed,  and  so  careless  was  the  watch 
kept  by  the  French  that  they  passed  through  the 
sentries  unobserved,  and  reached  in  safety  the  gate 
from  which  they  had  issued.  As  they  neared  it 
they  were  challenged  from  the  walls,  and  a  shout 
of  joy  was  heard  when  Walter  replied  that  the 
countess  herself  was  present.  The  gates  were 
opened  and  the  party  entered.  The  news  of  their 
return  rapidl}^  ran  through  the  town,  and  the  in- 
habitants, hastily  attiring  themselves,  ran  into  the 
streets,  filled  with  joy.  Much  depression  had  been 
felt  during  her  absence,  and  few  had  entertained 
hopes  that  she  would  be  able  to  reenter  the  town. 
She  had  brought  with  her  from  Auray  two  hundred 
men,  in  addition  to  the  party  that  had  sallied  out. 


ST.  QEORaE  FOR  ENGLAND.  145 


CHAPTEE  IX. 


THE    SIEGE   OF   HENNEBON. 


The  besiegers  of  Hennebon  were  greatly  dis- 
couraged at  the  success  of  the  enterprise  of  the 
countess.  They  had  already  attempted  several 
desperate  assaults,  but  had  each  time  been  repulsed 
with  very  heavy  loss.  They  now  sent  to  Eennes  for 
twelve  of  the  immense  machines  used  in  battering 
walls,  which  had  been  left  behind  there  on  a  false 
report  of  the  weakness  of  Hennebon.  Pending  the 
arrival  of  these,  Charles  of  Blois  with  one  division 
of  the  army  marched  away  to  attack  Auray,  leaving 
Don  Louis  to  carry  on  the  siege  with  a  force  consid- 
ered amply  sufficient  to  compel  its  surrender  after 
the  arrival  of  the  battering  machines. 

In  a  few  days  these  arrived  and  were  speedily  set 
to  work,  and  immense  masses  of  stone  were  hurled 
at  the  walls. 

Walter  continued  to  act  as  the  countess'  especial 
squire.  She  had  informed  Sir  William  Caddoudal 
and  Sir  John  Powis  that  it  was  at  his  suggestion 
that  she  had  made  the  sudden  attack  upon  the 
French  camp,  and  he  had  gained  great  credit 
thereby. 


146  B2.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

The  effect  of  the  new  machines  was  speedily 
visible.  The  walls  crumbled  under  the  tremendous 
blows,  and  although  the  archers  harassed  by  their 
arrows  the  men  working  them,  the  French  speedil}^ 
erected  screens  which  sheltered  them  from  their  fire. 
The  spirits  of  the  defenders  began  to  sink  rapidly, 
as  they  saw  that  in  a  very  short  time  great  breaches 
would  be  made  in  the  walls,  and  that  all  the  horrors 
and  disasters  of  a  city  taken  by  assault  awaited 
them.  The  Bishop  of  Quimper,  who  was  within  the 
walls,  entered  into  secret  negotiations  with  his 
nephew,  Henry  de  Leon,  who  had  gone  over  to  the 
enemy  after  the  surrender  of  Mantes,  and  was  now 
with  the  besieging  army.  The  besiegers,  delighted 
to  find  an  ally  within  the  walls  who  might  save 
them  from  the  heavy  losses  which  an  assault  would 
entail  upon  them,  at  once  embraced  his  offers,  and 
promised  him  a  large  recompense  if  he  would  bring 
over  the  other  commanders  and  nobles.  The  wily 
bishop  set  to  work,  and  the  consequences  were  soon 
visible.  Open  grumbling  broke,  forth  at  the  hard- 
ships which  were  endured,  and  at  the  prospect  of 
the  wholesale  slaughter  which  would  attend  a  storm 
when  all  hope  of  a  successful  resistance  was  at  an 
end. 

"  I  fear,  Walter,"  Sir  John  said  one  morning, 
"  that  the  end  is  at  hand.  On  all  sides  submission 
is  spoken  of,  and  all  that  I  can  say  to  keep  up  their 
spirits  is  useless.  Upon  our  own  little  band  we  can 
rely,  but  I  doubt  if  outside  them  a  single  deter- 
mined man  is  to  be  found  in  the  town.     In  vain  do 


ST.  OEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND.  14? 

I  speak  of  the  arrival  of  Sir  Walter  Manny.  Nearly 
ninety  days  liave  elapsed  since  we  sailed,  and  all 
hope  of  his  coming  is  gone.  I  point  out  to  them 
that  contrary  winds  have  been  blowing,  and  that  at 
any  moment  he  may  arrive ;  but  they  will  not  hear 
me.  The  bishop  has  gained  over  the  whole  of  them 
by  his  promises  that  none  shall  be  molested  in 
property  or  estate  should  they  surrender." 

"  It  is  sad  to  see  the  countess,"  Walter  replied ; 
"  she.  who  has  shown  such  high  spirit  throughout 
the  siege  now  does  nothing  but  weep,  for  she  knows 
that  with  her  and  her  child  in  the  hands  of  the 
French  the  cause  of  the  count  is  lost.  If  she  could 
carry  off  the  child  by  sea  she  would  not  so  much 
care  for  the  fall  of  the  town,  but  the  French  ships 
lie  thick  round  the  port,  and  there  is  no  hope  of 
breaking  through." 

Two  days  later  the  conspiracy  came  to  a  head,  and 
the  people,  assembling  round  the  countess'  house, 
clamored  for  surrender.  The  breaches  were  open 
and  the  enemy  might  pour  in  at  any  time  and  put 
all  to  the  sword.  The  countess  begged  for  a  little 
further  delay,  but  in  vain,  and  withdrew  to  the 
turret  where  she  had  for  so  many  weary  weeks 
watched  the  horizon,  in  hopes  of  seeing  the  sails  of 
the  approaching  fleet.  Walter  was  at  the  time  with 
Sir  John  Powis  on  the  walls.  Presently  a  large 
body  of  French  were  seen  approaching  headed  by 
Henry  de  Leon,  who  summoned  the  town  to  sur- 
render. Many  standing  on  the  walls  shouted  that 
the  gates  should  be  thrown  open ;  but  Sir  John  re- 


148  ST,  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

turned  for  answer  that  he  must  consult  the  count- 
ess, and  that  upon  her  answer  must  depend  whether 
he  and  his  men  would  defend  the  breach  until  the 
last. 

"  Come  with  me,  Walter,"  he  said, ''  we  must  fain 
persuade  the  countess.  If  she  says  no,  we  English- 
men will  die  in  the  breach  ;  but  though  ready  to 
give  my  life  for  so  brave  a  lady,  I  own  that  it  is  use- 
less to  fight  longer.  Save  our  own  little  band  not 
one  in  the  town  will  lift  a  sword  again.  Such 
resistance  as  we  can  offer  will  but  inflame  them  to 
fury,  and  all  the  horrors  of  a  sack  will  be  inflicted 
upon  the  inhabitants.  There  she  is,  poor  lady,  on 
the  turret,  gazing,  as  usual,  seaward." 

Suddenly  they  saw  her  throw  up  her  arms,  and 
then  turning  toward  the  city  she  cried  as  she  per- 
ceived the  English  knight,  "  I  see  them  !  I  see  them  ! 
The  English  fleet  are  coming  !" 

"  Run  up,  Walter,"  Sir  John  exclaimed,  "  ma3^be 
the  countess  is  distraught  with  her  sorrows." 

Walter  dashed  up  to  the  turret,  and  looking  sea- 
ward beheld  rising  over  the  horizon  a  number  of 
masts. 

"  Hurrah  !  Sir  John,"  he  shouted,  "  we  are  saved, 
the  English  fleet  is  in  sight." 

Many  others  heard  the  shout,  and  the  tidings  ran 
like  lightning  through  the  town.  In  wild  excite- 
ment the  people  ran  to  the  battlements  and  roofs, 
and  with  cheering  and  clapping  of  hands  hailed  the 
appearance  of  the  still  far-distant  fleet.  The  church 
bells  rang  out  joyfully  and  the  whole  town  was 
wild  with  excitement. 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  149 

The  Bishop  of  Quimper,  finding  that  his  plans 
were  frustrated,  gathered  around  him  some  of  those 
who  had  taken  a  leading  part  in  the  intrigue. 
These,  leaving  the  city  by  a  gate  at  which  they  had 
placed  some  of  their  own  faction  to  open  it  to  the 
French,  issued  out  and  made  their  way  to  the  as- 
sailants' camp,  to  give  news  of  the  altered  situation. 
Don  Louis  at  once  ordered  an  attack  to  be  made 
with  his  whole  force,  in  hopes  of  capturing  the  place 
before  the  arrival  of  the  English  succor.  But,  ani- 
mated by  their  new  hopes,  those  so  lately  despond- 
ent and  ready  to  yield  manned  the  breaches  and 
repulsed  with  great  slaughter  all  attempts  on  the 
part  of  the  French  to  carry  them.  While  the  strug- 
gle was  still  going  on,  the  countess,  aided  by  the 
wives  of  the  burghers,  busied  herself  in  preparing  a 
sumptuous  feast  in  honor  of  her  deliverers  who  were 
fast  approaching,  their  ships  impelled  by  a  strong 
and  favorable  breeze.  The  vessels  of  the  French 
hastily  drew  off,  and  the  English  fleet  sailed  into 
the  port  hailed  by  the  cheers  of  the  inhabitants. 
The  countess  herself  received  Sir  Walter  Manny  on 
his  landing,  and  the  townspeople  vied  with  each 
other  in  offering  hospitality  to  the  men-at-arms  and 
archers. 

"Ah!  Sir  John  Powis,"  Sir  Walter  exclaimed, 
"  what,  are  you  here  ?  I  had  given  you  up  for  lost. 
We  thought  3^ou  had  gone  down  in  the  gale  the 
night  you  started." 

"  We  were  separated  from  the  fleet.  Sir  Walter, 
but  the  master  held  on,  and  we  arrived  here  four 


150  ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

days  after  we  put  out.  We  took  part  in  the  siege 
of  KenneSj  and  have  since  done  our  best  to  aid  the 
countess  heve." 

"  And  their  best  has  been  much,"  the  countess 
said ;  "  not  to  say  how  bravely  they  have  fought 
upon  the  walls,  it  is  to  Sir  John  and  his  little  band 
that  I  owe  it  that  the  town  was  not  surrendered 
days  ago.  They  alone  remained  steadfast  when  all 
others  fell  away,  and  it  is  due  to  them  that  I  am 
still  able,  as  mistress  of  this  town,  to  greet  you  on 
your  arrival.  I^ext  to  Sir  John  himself,  my  thanks 
are  due  to  your  young  esquire,  Walter  Somers,  who 
has  cheered  and  stood  by  me,  and  to  whose  sugges- 
tions I  owe  it  that  I  was  able  at  the  first  to  sally 
out  and  destro}^  the  French  camp  while  they  were 
attacking  the  walls,  and  so  greatly  hindered  their 
measures  against  the  town.  And  now,  sir,  will  you 
follow  me  ?  I  have  prepared  for  you  and  your 
knights  such  a  banquet  of  welcome  as  our  poor 
means  will  allow,  and  my  townspeople  will  see  that 
good  fare  is  set  before  your  soldiers." 

That  evening  there  was  high  feasting  in  the  town, 
although  the  crash  of  the  heavy  stones  cast  by  the 
French  machines  against  the  walls  never  ceased. 
Early  the  next  morning  Sir  Walter  Manny  made  a 
survey  of  the  place  and  of  the  disposition  of  the 
enemy,  and  proposed  to  his  knights  to  sally  forth  at 
once  and  destroy  the  largest  of  the  enemy's  ma- 
chines, which  had  been  brought  up  close  to  the 
walls.  In  a  few  minutes  the  knights  were  armed 
and  mounted.    Three  hundred  knights  and  esquires 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  151 

were  to  take  part  in  the  sortie ;  they  were  to  be 
followed  by  a  strong  body  of  men-at-arms. 

As  soon  as  the  gates  were  opened  a  number  of 
archers  issued  out,  and  taking  their  place  at  the 
edge  of  the  moat,  poured  a  rain  of  arrows  upon  the 
men  working  the  machine  and  those  guarding  it. 
Most  of  these  took  to  flight  at  once  ;  the  remainder 
were  cut  down  by  the  men-at-arms,  who  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  hew  the  machine  in  pieces  with  the  axes 
with  which  they  were  provided.  Sir  Walter  himself 
and  his  mounted  companions  dashed  forward  to  the 
nearer  tents  of  the  French  camps,  cut  down  all  who 
opposed  them,  and  setting  lire  to  the  huts  retired 
toward  the  city. 

By  this  time  the  French  were  thoroughly  alarmed, 
and  numbers  of  knights  and  men-at-arms  dashed 
after  the  little  body  of  English  cavalry.  These 
could  have  regained  the  place  in  safety,  but  in  the 
chivalrous  spirit  of  the  time  they  disdained  to  retire 
without  striking  a  blow.  Turning  their  horses, 
therefore,  and  laying  their  lances  in  rest,  they 
charged  the  pursuing  French. 

For  a  few  minutes  the  conflict  was  desperate  and 
many  on  both  sides  were  overthrown  ;  then,  as 
large  reenforcements  were  continually  arriving  to 
the  French,  Sir  Walter  called  off  his  men  and  retired 
slowly.  On  reaching  the  moat  he  halted  his  forces. 
The  knights  wheeled  and  presented  a  Arm  face  to 
the  enemy,  covering  the  entrance  of  their  followers 
into  the  gate.  The  French  chivalry  thundered  down 
upon  the  little  body,  but  were  met  by  a  storm  of 


152  ST.  QEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

arrows  from  the  archers  lining  the  moat.  Many 
knights  were  struck  through  the  bars  of  their  vizors 
or  the  joints  of  their  mail.  The  horses,  though  de- 
fended by  iron  trappings,  fell  dead  under  them,  or, 
maddened  by  pain,  dashed  wildly  through  the  ranks, 
carrying  confusion  with  them,  and  the  French  com- 
manders, seeing  how  heavy  were  their  losses,  called 
off  their  men  from  the  assault.  Sir  Walter  Manny 
with  his  party  remained  without  the  gate  until  the 
enemy  had  reentered  their  camp,  and  then  rode  into 
the  town  amid  the  acclamations  of  the  inhabitants, 
the  countess  herself  meeting  her  deliverers  at  the 
gate  and  kissing  each,  one  after  the  other,  in  token 
of  her  gratitude  and  admiration. 

The  arrival  of  the  reenforcements  and  the  proof 
of  skill  and  vigor  given  by  the  English  leader, 
together  with  the  terror  caused  by  the  terrible  effect 
of  the  English  arrows,  shook  the  resolution  of  Don 
Louis  and  his  troops.  Deprived  of  half  their  force 
by  the  absence  of  Charles  of  Blois,  it  was  thought 
prudent  by  the  leaders  to  withdraw  at  once,  and 
the  third  morning  after  the  arrival  of  Sir  Walter 
Manny  the  siege  was  raised,  and  the  French 
marched  to  join  Charles  of  Blois  before  the  castle 
of  Auray. 

Even  with  the  reenforcements  brought  by  Sir 
Walter  Manny,  the  forces  of  the  Countess  of  Mont- 
ford  were  still  so  greatly  inferior  to  those  of  the 
divisions  of  the  French  army  that  they  could  not 
hope  to  cope  with  them  in  the  field  until  the  arrival 
of  the  main  English  army,  which  the  King  of  Eng- 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND,  153 

land  himself  was  to  bring  over  shortly.  Accordingly 
the  French  laid  siege  to  and  captured  many  small 
towns  and  castles.  Charles  of  Blois  continued  the 
siege  of  Auray,  and  directed  Don  Louis  with  his 
division  to  attack  the  town  of  Dinan.  On  his  way 
the  Spaniard  captured  the  small  fortress  of  Conquet 
and  put  the  garrison  to  the  sword.  Sir  Walter 
Manny,  in  spite  of  the  inferiority  of  his  force,  sallied 
out  to  relieve  it,  but  it  was  taken  before  his  arrival, 
and  Don  Louis  had  marched  away  to  Dinan,  leaving 
a  small  garrison  in  Conquet.  It  was  again  captured 
by  Sir  Walter,  but  finding  it  indefensible  he  returned 
with  the  whole  of  his  force  to  Hennebon.  Don 
Louis  captured  Dinan  and  then  besieged  Guerande. 
Here  he  met  with  a  vigorous  resistance,  but  carried 
it  by  storm,  and  gave  it  up  to  be  pillaged  by  his 
soldiers.  He  now  sent  back  to  Charles  of  Blois 
the  greater  part  of  the  French  troops  who  accom- 
panied him,  and  embarked  with  the  Genoese  and 
Spanish,  8,000  in  number,  and  sailed  to  Quimperle, 
a  rich  and  populous  town  in  Lower  Brittany. 

Anchoring  in  the  Eiver  Leita  he  disembarked  his 
troops,  and  leaving  a  guard  to  protect  the  vessels 
marched  to  the  interior,  plundering  and  burning,  and 
from  time  to  time  dispatching  his  booty  to  swell  the 
immense  mass  which  he  brought  in  his  ships  from 
the  sack  of  Guerande, 

Quimperle  lies  but  a  short  distance  from  Henne- 
bon, and  Sir  Walter  Manny  with  Almeric  de  Clisson, 
a  number  of  English  knights,  and  a  body  of  English 
archers,  in  all  three  thousand  men,  embarked  in  the 


154  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

ships  in  the  port,  and  entering  the  Leita  captured 
the  enemy's  fleet  and  all  his  treasure.  The  English 
then  landed,  and  dividing  into  three  bodies,  set  out 
in  search  of  the  enemy. 

The  English  columns  marched  at  a  short  distance 
apart  so  as  to  be  able  to  give  each  other  assistance 
in  case  of  attack.  The  news  of  the  English  approach 
soon  reached  the  Spaniards,  who  were  gathered  in 
a  solid  body,  for  the  enraged  country  people,  armed 
with  clubs  and  bills,  hung  on  their  flanks  and  cut  off 
any  stragglers  who  left  the  main  body.  Don  Louis 
at  once  moved  toward  the  sea-coast,  and  coming  in 
sight  of  one  of  the  English  divisions,  charged  it  with 
his  whole  force. 

The  English  fought  desperately,  but  the  odds  of 
seven  to  one  were  too  great,  and  they  would  have 
been  overpowered  had  not  the  other  two  divisions 
arrived  on  the  spot  and  fallen  upon  the  enemy's 
flanks.  After  a  severe  and  prolonged  struggle  the 
Genoese  and  Spaniards  were  completely  routed. 
The  armed  peasantry  slew  every  fugitive  they  could 
overtake,  and  of  the  7,000  men  with  whom  Don 
Louis  commenced  the  battle  only  300  accompanied 
him  in  his  flight  to  Kennes,  the  troops  of  Sir  Walter 
and  De  Clisson  pursuing  him  to  the  very  gates  of 
that  city.  Sir  Walter  marched  back  with  his  force 
to  the  ships,  but  finding  the  wind  unfavorable  re- 
turned to  Hennebon  by  land,  capturing  by  the  way 
the  castle  of  Goy  la  Foret.  Their  return  was  joy- 
fully welcomed,  not  only  for  the  victory  which 
they   had  achieved,  but   because   the   enemy    was 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  155 

again  drawing  near  to  the  town.  Auray  had  fallen. 
The  brave  garrison,  after  existing  for  some  time 
upon  the  flesh  of  their  horses,  had  endeavored  to 
cut  their  way  through  the  besiegers.  Most  of  them 
were  killed  in  the  attempt,  but  a  few  escaped  and 
mjiide  their  way  to  Hennebon. 

Yannes,  an  important  town,  and  Carhaix  quickly 
surrendered,  and  the  French  force  was  daily  receiv- 
ing considerable  reenforcements.  This  arose  from 
the  fact  that  large  numbers  of  French  nobles  and 
knights  had,  with  their  followers,  taken  part  with 
Alfonso,  King  of  Castile  and  Leon,  in  his  war  with 
the  Moors.  This  had  just  terminated  with  the  ex- 
pulsion of  the  latter  from  Spain,  and  the  French 
knights  and  nobles  on  their  way  home  for  the  most 
part  joined  at  once  in  the  war  which  their  country- 
men were  waging  in  Bretagne. 

Seeing  the  great  force  which  was  gathering  for  a 
fresh  siege  of  Hennebon,  Sir  Walter  Manny  and 
the  Countess  of  Montford  sent  an  urgent  message 
to  King  Edward  for  further  support.  The  king 
was  not  yet  ready,  but  at  the  beginning  of  August 
he  dispatched  a  force  under  the  command  of  the 
Earl  of  Northampton  and  Robert  of  Artois.  It 
consisted  of  twenty-seven  knights  bannerets  and 
2,000  men-at-arms.  Before,  however,  it  could  reach 
Hennebon  the  second  siege  of  that  city  had  begun. 
Charles  of  Blois  had  approached  it  with  a  far  larger 
army  than  that  with  which  he  had  on  the  first 
occasion  sat  down  before  it.  Hennebon  was,  how- 
ever, much  better  prepared  than  at  first  for  resist- 


156  ^'  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

ance.  Ihe  walls  had  been  repaired,  provisions  and 
military  stores  laid  up,  and  machines  constructed. 
The  fifarrison  was  very  much  larger,  and  was  com- 
manded by  one  of  the  most  gallant  knights  of  the 
age,  and  the  citizens  beheld  undaunted  the  approach 
of  the  great  French  army. 

Four  days  after  the  French  had  arrived  before 
Hennebon  they  were  joined  by  Don  Louis,  who  had 
been  severely  wounded  in  the  fight  near  Quimperle, 
and  had  lain  for  six  ^eeks  at  Eennes.  Sixteen 
great  engines  at  once  began  to  cast  stones  against 
\be  walls,  but  Sir  Walter  caused  «^nd-bags  to  be 
lowered,  and  so  protected  the  walls  from  the  attack 
that  little  damage  was  done.  The  garrison,  confi- 
dent in  their  powers  to  resist,  taunted  the  assailants 
from  the  walls,  and  specially  enraged  the  Sp5.nia,?d3 
and  Don  Louis  by  allusions  to  the  defeat  at  Quim- 
perle. 

So  furious  did  the  Spanish  prince  become  that  he 
took  a  step  unprecedented  in  those  days  of  chivalry. 
He  one  morning  entered  the  tent  of  Charles  of 
Blois,  where  a  number  of  French  nobles  were  gath- 
ered, and  demanded  a  boon  in  requital  of  all  his 
services.  Charles  at  once  assented,  when,  to  his 
surprise  and  horror,  Prince  Louis  demanded  that 
two  English  knights,  Sir  John  Butler  and  Sir 
Hubert  Frisnoy,  who  had  been  captured  in  the 
course  of  the  campaign  and  were  kept  prisoners  at 
Faouet,  should  be  delivered  to  him  to  be  executed. 
"  These  English,"  he  said,  "  have  pursued,  discom- 
'i)rted,  and  wounded  me,  and  have  killed  the  nephew 


ST.  QEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  157 

whom  I  loved  so  well,  and  as  I  have  none  other 
mode  of  vengeance  I  will  cut  off  their  heads  before 
their  companions  who  lie  within  those  walls." 

Charles  of  Blois  and  his  nobles  were  struck  with 
amazement  and  horror  at  the  demand,  and  used 
every  means  in  their  power  to  turn  the  savage 
prince  from  his  purpose,  but  in  vain.  They  pointed 
out  to  him  that  his  name  would  be  dishonored  in 
all  countries  where  the  laws  of  chivalry  prevailed 
by  such  a  deed,  and  besought  him  to  choose  some 
other  boon.  Don  Louis  refused  to  yield,  and  Charles 
of  Blois,  finding  no  alternative  between  breaking 
his  promise  and  delivering  his  prisoners,  at  last 
agreed  to  his  request. 

The  prisoners  were  sent  for,  and  were  informed 
by  Don  Louis  himself  of  their  approaching  end.  At 
first  they  could  not  believe  that  he  was  in  earnest, 
for  such  a  proceeding  was  so  utterly  opposed  to  the 
spirit  of  the  times  that  it  seemed  impossible  to 
them.  Finding  that  he  was  in  earnest  they  warned 
him  of  the  eternal  stain  which  such  a  deed  would 
bring  upon  his  name.  The  Spaniard,  however,  was 
unmoved  either  by  their  words  or  by  the  entreaties 
of  the  French  nobles,  but  told  them  that  he  would 
give  them  a  few  hours  to  prepare  for  death,  and 
that  they  should  be  executed  in  sight  of  the  walls 
after  the  usual  dinner  hour  of  the  army. 

In  those  days  sieges  were  not  conducted  in  the 
strict  manner  in  which  they  are  at  present,  and  non- 
combatants  passed  without  difficulty  to  and  fro  be- 
tween town  and  camp.   The  news,  therefore,  of  what 


158  ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

was  intended  speedily  reached  the  garrison,  whom 
it  filled  with  indignation  and  horror.  A  council 
was  immediately  called,  and  Sir  Walter  Manny  pro- 
posed a  plan,  which  was  instantly  adopted. 

Without  loss  of  time  Almeric  de  Clisson  issued 
forth  from  the  great  gate  of  Hennebon,  accompanied 
by  300  men-at-arms  and  1,000  archers.  The  latter 
took  post  at  once  along  the  edge  of  the  ditches. 
The  men-at-arms  rode  straight  for  the  enemy's 
camp,  which  was  undefended,  the  whole  arm}^  being 
within  their  tents  at  dinner.  Dashing  into  their 
midst  the  English  and  Breton  men-at-arms  began  to 
overthrow  the  tents  and  to  spear  all  that  were  in 
them.  Kot  knowing  the  extent  of  the  danger  or 
the  smallness  of  the  attacking  force,  the  French 
knights  sprang  up  from  table,  mounted,  and  rode  to 
encounter  the  assailants. 

For  some  time  these  maintained  their  ground 
against  all  assaults  until,  finding  that  the  whole 
army  was  upon  them,  Almeric  de  Clisson  gave  order 
for  his  troop  to  retire  slowly  upon  the  town.  Fight- 
ing every  step  of  the  ground  and  resisting  obsti- 
nately the  repeated  onslaught  of  the  French,  Clisson 
approached  the  gate.  Here  he  was  joined  by  the 
archers,  who  with  bent  bows  prepared  to  resist  the 
advance  of  the  French.  As  it  now  appeared  that 
the  garrison  were  prepared  to  give  battle  outside 
the  walls,  the  whole  French  army  prepared  to  move 
against  them . 

In  the  mean  time  Sir  Walter  Manny,  with  100 
jnen-at-arms  and   600  horse  archers,   issued  by  a 


8T.  GEOUQE  FOR  ENGLAND.  159 

sally-port  on  the  other  side  of  the  town,  and  with 
all  speed  rode  round  to  the  rear  of  Ihe  French  camp. 
There  he  found  none  to  oppose  him  save  servants 
and  camp-followers,  and  making  his  way  straight  to 
the  tent  of  Charles  of  Blois,  where  the  two  knights 
were  confined,  he  soon  freed  them  from  their  bonds. 
They  were  mounted  without  wasting  a  moment's 
time  upon  two  spare  horses,  and  turning  again  the 
whole  party  rode  back  toward  Hennebon,  and  had 
reached  the  postern  gate  before  the  fugitives  from 
the  camp  reached  the  French  commanders  and  told 
them  what  had  happened. 

Seeing  that  he  was  now  too  late,  because  of  De 
Clisson's  sortie,  Charles  of  Blois  recalled  his  army 
from  the  attack,  in  which  he  could  only  have  suf- 
fered heavily  from  the  arrows  of  the  archers  and 
the  missiles  from  the  walls.  The  same  day,  he 
learned  from  some  prisoners  captured  in  the  sortie, 
of  the  undiminished  spirit  of  the  garrison,  and  that 
Hennebon  wasamply  supplied  by  provisions  brought 
by  sea.  His  own  army  was  becoming  straitened  by 
the  scarcity  of  supplies  in  the  country  round  ;  he 
therefore  determined  at  once  to  raise  the  siege,  and 
to  besiege  some  place  where  he  would  encounter  less 
serious  resistance. 

Accordingly  next  morning  he  drew  off  his  army 
and  marched  to  Carhaix. 

Shortly  afterward  the  news  came  that  the  Earl 
of  Northampton  and  Kobert  of  Artois,  with  their 
force,  had  sailed,  and  Don  Louis,  with  the  Genoese 
and  other  Italian  mercenaries,  started  to  intercept 


160  ST.  GEOUQE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

them  with  a  large  fleet.  The  fleets  met  off  the 
island  of  Guernsey,  and  a  severe  engagement  took 
place,  which  lasted  till  night.  During  the  darkness 
a  tremendous  storm  burst  upon  them  and  the  com- 
batants separated.  The  English  succeeded  in  mak- 
ing their  way  to  Brittan}^  and  landed  near  Yannes. 
The  Spaniards  captured  four  small  ships  which  had 
been  separated  in  the  storm  from  their  consorts,  but 
did  not  succeed  in  regaining  the  coast  of  Brittany, 
being  driven  south  by  the  storm  as  far  as  Spain. 
The  Earl  of  Northampton  at  once  laid  siege  to 
Yannes,  and  Sir  Walter  Manny  moved  with  every 
man  that  could  be  spared  from  Hennebon  to  assist 
him. 

As  it  was  certain  that  the  French  army  would 
press  forward  with  all  speed  to  relieve  the  town,  it 
was  decided  to  lose  no  time  in  battering  the  walls, 
but  to  attempt  to  carry  it  at  once  by  assault.  The 
walls,  however,  were  so  strong  that  there  seemed 
little  prospect  of  success  attending  such  an  attempt, 
and  a  plan  was  therefore  determined  upon  by 
which  the  enemy  might  be  thrown  off  their  guard. 
The  assault  commenced  at  three  points  in  the  early 
morning  and  was  -continued  all  day.  ISTo  great 
vigor,  however,  was  shown  in  these  attempts,  which 
were  repulsed  at  all  points. 

At  nightfall  the  assailants  drew  off  to  their  camp, 
and  Oliver  de  Clisson,  who  commanded  the  town, 
suffered  his  weary  troops  to  quit  the  walls  and  to 
seek  for  refreshment  and  repose.  The  assailants, 
however,  did  not  disarm,  but  after  a  sufficient  time 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND  161 

had  elapsed  to  allow  the  garrison  to  lay  aside  their 
armor  two  strong  parties  attacked  the  principal 
gates  of  the  town,  while  Sir  Walter  Manny  and  the 
Earl  of  Oxford  moved  round  to  the  opposite  side 
with  ladders  for  an  escalade.  The  plan  was  suc- 
cessful. The  garrison,  snatching  up  their  arms, 
hurried  to  repel  their  attack  upon  the  gates,  every 
man  hastening  in  that  direction.  Sir  Walter  Manny 
with  his  party  were  therefore  enabled  to  mount  the 
walls  unobserved  and  make  their  way  into  the 
town  ;  here  they  fell  upon  the  defenders  in  the  rear, 
and  the  sudden  onslaught  spread  confusion  and 
terror  among  them.  The  parties  at  the  gates 
forced  their  way  in  and  joined  their  friends,  and 
the  whole  of  the  garrison  were  killed  or  taken 
prisoners,  save  a  few,  including  Oliver  Clisson,  who 
made  their  escape  by  sally-ports.  Eobert  of  Artois, 
with  the  Earl  of  Stafford,  was  left  with  a  garrison 
to  hold  the  town.  The  Earl  of  Salisbury,  with  four 
thousand  men,  proceeded  to  lay  siege  to  Kennes, 
and  Sir  Walter  Manny  hastened  back  to  Hennebon. 

Some  of  Sir  Walter's  men  formed  part  of  the 
garrison  of  Yannes,  and  among  these  was  Sir  4"ohn 
Powis  with  a  hundred  men-at-arms. 

The  knight  had  been  so  pleased  with  Walter's 
coolness  and  courage  at  the  siege  at  Hennebon  that 
he  requested  Sir  Walter  to  leave  him  with  him  at 
Yannes.  "It  is  possible,"  he  said  to  Walter,  "  that 
we  may  have  fighting  here.  Methinks  that  Sir 
Walter  would  have  done  better  to  leave  a  stronger 
force.     The  town  is  a  large  one,  and  the  inhabitants 


162  ^T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

ill-disposed  toward  us.  Oliver  Clisson  and  the 
French  nobles  will  feel  their  honor  wounded  at  the 
way  in  which  we  outwitted  them,  and  will  likely 
enough  make  an  effort  to  regain  the  town.  How- 
ever, Rennes  and  Hennebon  are  not  far  away,  and 
we  may  look  for  speedy  aid  from  the  Earl  of  Salis- 
bury and  Sir  Walter  should  occasion  arise." 

Sir  John's  previsions  were  speedily  verified. 
Oliver  Clisson  and  his  friends  were  determined  to 
wipe  out  their  defeat  and  scattered  through  the 
country,  raising  volunteers  from  among  the  sol- 
diery in  all  the  neighboring  towns  and  castles, 
and  a  month  after  Yannes  was  taken  they  suddenly 
appeared  before  the  town  with  an  army  of  12,000 
men,  commanded  by  Beaumanoir,  Marshal  of  Bre- 
tagne  for  Charles  of  Blois.  The  same  reasons 
which  had  induced  the  Earl  of  Northampton  to  de- 
cide upon  a  speedy  assault  instead  of  the  slow  proc- 
ess of  breaching  the  walls,  actuated  the  French  in 
pursuing  the  same  course,  and,  divided  into  a  num- 
ber of  storming  parties,  the  army  advanced  at  once 
to  the  assault  on  the  walls.  The  little  garrison 
prepared  for  the  defense. 

"  The  outlook  is  bad,  Walter,"  Sir  John  Powis 
said.  "These  men  approach  with  an  air  of  resolu- 
tion which  shows  that  they  are  bent  upon  success. 
They  outnumber  us  by  twelve  to  one,  and  it  is 
likely  enough  that  the  citizens  may  rise  and  attack 
us  in  the  rear.  They  have  been  ordered  to  bring 
the  stones  for  the  machines  to  the  walls,  but  not 
one  has  laid  his  hand  to  the  work.     We  must  do 


8T.^GB0RGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  163 

our  duty  as  brave  men,  my  lad,  but  I  doubt  me  if 
yonder  is  not  the  last  sun  which  we  shall  see. 
Furious  as  the  French  are  at  our  recent  success 
here,  you  may  be  sure  that  little  quarter  will  be 
given." 


164  ST.  OEOBGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 


GHAPTEK  X. 


A   PLACE   OF   EEFtJGB. 


The  French,  excited  to  the  utmost  by  the  ex- 
hortations of  their  commanders,  and  by  their  desire 
to  wipe  out  the  disgrace  of  the  easy  capture  of 
Yannes  by  the  English,  advanced  with  ardor  to  the 
assault,  and  officers  and  men  vied  with  each  other 
in  the  valor  which  they  displayed.  In  vain  did  the 
garrison  shower  arrows  and  cross-bow  bolts  among 
them,  and  pour  down  boiling  oil  and  quicklime  upon 
them  as  they  thronged  at  the  foot  of  the  wall.  In 
vain  were  the  ladders,  time  after  time,  hurled  back 
loaded  with  men  upon  the  mass  below.  The  efforts 
of  the  men-at-arms  to  scale  the  defenses  were 
seconded  by  their  archers  and  cross-bowmen,  who 
shot  such  a  storm  of  bolts  that  great  numbers  of 
the  defenders  were  killed.  The  assault  was  made 
at  a  score  of  different  points,  and  the  garrison  was 
too  weak  to  defend  all  with  success.  Sir  John 
Powis  and  his  party  repulsed  over  and  over  again 
the  efforts  of  the  assailants  against  that  part  of  the 
wall  intrusted  to  them,  but  at  other  points  the 
French  gained  a  footing,  and  swarming  up  rushed 
along  the  walls,  slaying  all  whom  they  encountered. 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  16o 

"  All  is  lost,"  Sir  John  exclaimed  ;  "  let  us  fall 
back  to  the  castle  and  die  fighting  there." 

Descending  from  the  wall  the  party  made  their 
way  through  the  streets.  The  French  were  already 
in  the  town ;  every  house  was  closed  and  barred, 
and  from  the  upper  windows  the  burghers  hurled 
down  stones  and  bricks  upon  the  fugitives,  while 
parties  of  the  French  soldiers  fell  upon  them  fiercely. 
Many  threw  down  their  arms  and  cried  for  quarter, 
but  were  instantly  slain. 

For  awhile  the  streets  were  a  scene  of  wild  con- 
fusion ;  here  and  there  little  knots  of  Englishmen 
stood  together  and  defended  themselves  until  the 
last,  others  ran  through  the  streets  chased  by  their 
exulting  foes,  some  tried  in  vain  to  gain  shelter  in 
the  houses.  Sir  John  Powis'  band  was  soon  broken 
and  scattered,  and  their  leader  slain  by  a  heavy 
stone  from  a  housetop.  Walter  fought  his  way 
blindly  forw^ard  toward  the  castle,  although  he  well 
knew  that  no  refuge  would  be  found  there.  Kalph 
Smith  kept  close  beside  him,  leveling  many  of  his 
assailants  with  the  tremendous  blows  of  a  huge 
mace.  Somehow,  Walter  hardly  knew  how,  they 
made  their  way  through  their  assailants  and  dashed 
in  at  the  castle  gate.  A  crowd  of  their  assailants 
were  close  upon  their  heels.  Walter  glanced 
round  ;  dashing  across  the  court-yard  her  an  through 
some  passages  into  an  inner  yard,  in  which,  as  he 
knew,  was  the  well.  The  bucket  hung  at  the 
windlass. 

"Catch  hold,  Ealph!"  he    exclaimed;  "there  is 


166  ST.  GEOBQE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

just  a  chance,  and  we  may  as  well  be  drowned  as 
killed."  They  grasped  the  rope  and  jumped  off. 
The  bucket  began  to  descend  with  frightful  veloci- 
ty. Faster  and  faster  it  went  and  yet  it  seemed  a 
long  time  before  they  plunged  into  the  water, 
which  was  nigh  a  hundred  feet  below  the  surface. 
Fortunately  the  rope  was  considerably  longer  than 
was  necessary,  and  they  sank  many  feet  into  the 
water,  still  retaining  their  hold.  Then  clinging  to 
the  rope  they  hauled  themselves  to  the  surface. 

"  We  cannot  hold  on  here  five  minutes,"  Ralph 
exclaimed ;   "  my  armor  is  dragging  me  down." 

"We  will  soon  get  rid  of  that,"  Walter  said. 
"  There  go  our  helmets ;  now  I  will  hold  on  with 
one  hand  and  help  you  to  unbuckle  your  breast  and 
back  pieces ;  yoa  do  the  same  for  me." 

With  great  efforts  they  managed  to  rid  them- 
selves of  their  armor,  and  then  held  on  with  ease  to 
the  rope.  They  hauled  the  bucket  to  the  surface 
and  tied  a  knot  in  the  slack  of  the  rope,  so  that  the 
bucket  hung  four  feet  belpw  the  level  of  the  water. 
Putting  their  feet  in  this,  they  were  able  to  stand 
with  their  heads  above  the  surface  without  dif- 
ficulty. 

"  This  is  a  nice  fix,"  Ralph  exclaimed.  "  I  think 
it  would  have  been  just  as  well  to  have  been  killed 
at  once.  They  are  sure  to  find  us  here,  and  if  they 
don't  we  shall  die  of  cold  before  to-morrow  morn- 
ing." 

"  I  don't  think  they  will  find  us "  Walter  said 
cheerfully.     "  When  they  have  searched  the  castle 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  167 

thoroughly  it  may  occur  to  some  of  them  that  we 
have  jumped  down  the  well,  but  it  will  be  no  par- 
ticular business  of  any  one  to  look  for  us,  and  they 
will  all  be  too  anxious  to  get  at  the  wine  butts  to 
trouble  their  heads  about  the  matter ;  besides,  it 
must  be  a  heavy  job  to  wind  up  this  bucket,  and  it 
is  not  likely  there  will  be  such  urgent  need  of 
water  that  any  one  will  undertake  the  task." 

"  But  we  are  no  better  off  if  they  don't,"  Ealph 
remarked,  "for  we  must  die  here  if  we  are  not 
hauled  out.  I  suppose  you  don't  intend  to  try  and 
climb  that  rope.  I  might  do  twenty  feet  or  so  on 
a  pinch,  but  1  could  no  more  get  up  to  the  top 
there  than  I  could  fly." 

"  We  must  think  it  over,"  Walter  rejoined ; 
"  where  there  is  a  will  there's  a  way,  you  know. 
We  will  take  it  by  turns  to  watch  that  little  patch 
of  light  overhead  ;  if  we  see  any  one  looking  down 
we  must  leave  the  bucket  and  swim  to  the  side  with- 
out making  the  least  noise.  They  may  give  a  few 
turns  of  the  windlass  to  see  if  any  one  has  hold  of 
the  rope  below  ;  be  sure  you  do  not  make  the  slight- 
est splashing  or  noise,  for  the  sound  would  be  heard 
above  to  a  certainty." 

Ten  minutes  later  they  saw  two  heads  appear 
above,  and  instantly  withdrew  their  feet  from  the 
bucket  and  made  a  stroke  to  the  side,  which  was 
but  four  feet  distant,  being  careful  as  they  did  so 
that  no  motion  was  imparted  to  the  rope.  Then, 
though  it  was  too  dark  to  see  anything,  they  heard 
the  bucket  lifted  from  the  water.  A  minute  later 
it  fell  back  again  with  a  splash,  then  all  was  quiet. 


168  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"We  are  safe  now,  and  can  take  our  place  in  the 
bucket.  They  are  satisfied  that  if  we  did  jump 
down  here  we  are  drowned.  And  now  we  must 
think  about  climbing  up." 

"  Ay,  that  will  require  a  good  deal  of  thinking," 
Kalph  grumbled. 

For  some  time  there  was  silence;  then  "Walter 
said,  "  The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  cut  off  the  slack  of 
the  rope ;  there  are  some  twelve  feet  of  it.  Then  we 
will  unwind  the  strands  of  that.  There  are  five  or 
six  large  strands  as  far  as  I  can  feel ;  we  will  cut 
them  up  into  lengths  of  about  a  couple  of  feet,  and 
we  ought  to  be  able  to  tie  these  to  the  rope  in  such 
a  way  as  not  to  slip  down  with  our  weight.  If  we 
tie  them  four  feet  apart  we  can  go  up  step  by  step  ; 
I  don't  see  much  difficulty  about  that." 

"  ITo,"  Ealph  said  much  more  cheerfully,  "  I 
should  think  that  we  could  manage  that." 

They  at  once  set  to  work.  The  rope  was  cut  up 
and  unraveled,  and  the  strands  cut  into  pieces  about 
two  feet  long.  They  then  both  set  to  work  trying 
to  discover  some  way  of  fastening  it  by  which  it 
would  not  slip  down  the  rope.  They  made  many 
fruitless  attempts  ;  each  time  that  a  strand  was  fas- 
tened with  a  loop  large  enough  for  them  to  pass  a  leg 
through,  it  slid  down  the  rope  when  their  weight 
was  applied  to  it.  At  last  they  succeeded  in  finding 
out  a  knot  which  would  hold.  This  was  done  by 
tying  a  knot  close  to  one  end  of  a  piece  of  the 
strand,  then  sufficient  was  left  to  form  the  loop,  and 
the  remainder  was  wound  round  the  rope  in  such 


ST.  GEORGE  FOE  ENGLAND.  169 

away  that  the  weight  only  served  to  tighten  its 
hold. 

"Shall  we  begin  at  once?"  Ealph  said,  when 
success  was  achieved. 

"JN^o,  we  had  better  wait  until  nightfall.  The 
vibration  of  the  rope  when  our  weight  once  gets  on 
it  might  be  noticed  by  any  one  crossing  the  court- 
yard." 

"  Do  you  think  we  have  sufficient  bits  of  rope  ?" 
Kalph  asked. 

"  Just  enough,  I  think,"  Walter  replied  ;  "  there 
were  six  strands,  and  each  has  made  six  pieces,  so 
we  have  thirty-six.  I  know'  the  well  is  about  a 
hundred  feet  deep,  for  the  other  day  I  heard  some 
of  the  soldiers  who  were  drawing  water  grumbling 
over  the  labor  required.  So  if  we  put  them  three 
feet  apart  it  will  take  thirty-three  of  them,  which 
will  leave  three  over ;  but  we  had  better  place  them 
a  little  over  a  yard  so  as  to  make  sure." 

In  a  short  time  the  fading  brightness  of  the  circle 
of  light  far  .overhead  told  them  that  twilight  had 
commenced,  and  shortly  afterward  they  attached 
the  first  strand  to  the  rope  some  three  feet  above 
the  water. 

"  Now,"  Walter  said,  "  I  will  go  first,  at  any  rate 
for  a  time.  I  must  put  one  leg  through  the  loop, 
and  sit,  as  it  were,  while  I  fasten  the  one  above,  as 
I  shall  want  both  hands  for  the  work.  You  will 
find  it  a  good  deal  easier  to  stand  with  your  foot  in 
the  loop.  If  I  get  tired  I  will  fasten  another  loop 
by  the  side  of  that  on  Avhich  I  am  resting,  so  you 
can  come  up  and  pass  me.     There  is  no  hurry.    It 


170  SI.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

ought  not  to  take  up  above  an  hour,  and  it  will  not 
do  for  us  to  get  to  the  top  until  the  place  becomes  a 
little  quiet.  To-night  they  are  sure  to  be  drinking 
and  feasting  over  their  victory  until  late." 

They  now  set  to  work,  and  step  by  step  mounted 
the  rope.  They  found  the  work  less  arduous  than 
they  had  expected.  The  rope  was  dry,  and  the 
strands  held  tightly  to  it.  Two  or  three  times  they 
changed  places,  resting  in  turn  from  their  work ; 
but  in  less  than  two  hours  from  the  time  they  made 
the  first  loop  Walter's  head  and  shoulders  appeared 
above  the  level  of  the  court-yard.  He  could  hear 
sounds  of  shouting  and  singing  within  the  castle, 
and  knew  that  a  great  feast  was  going  on.  De- 
scending a  step  or  two  he  held  parley  with  Ralph. 

"  I  think,  perhaps,  it  will  be  better  to  sally  out  at 
once.  Every  one  is  intent  on  his  own  pleasure,  and 
we  shall  have  no  difficulty  in  slipping  out  of  the 
castle  unnoticed.  All  will  be  feasting  and  rioting 
in  the  town,  and  so  long  as  we  do  not  brush  against 
any  one  so  that  they  may  feel  our  wet  garments  we 
are  little  likely  to  be  noticed  ;  besides,  the  gates  of 
the  town  will  stand  open  late,  for  people  from  the 
villages  round  will  have  come  in  to  join  in  the 
revels." 

"  I  am  ready  to  try  it.  Master  Walter,"  Ralph 
replied,  "  for  I  ache  from  head  to  foot  with  holding 
on  to  this  rope.     The  sooner  the  better,  say  I." 

In  another  minute  both  stood  in  the  court-yard. 
It  was  a  retired  spot,  and  none  were  passing.  Going 
along  the  passage  they  issued  into  ^he  main  yard. 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  171 

Here  great  fires  were  blazing,  and  groups  of  men 
sat  round  them  drinking  and  shouting.  Many  lay 
about  in  drunken  sleep. 

"Stay  where  you  are  in  the  shade,  Ralph.  You 
had  best  lie  down  by  the  foot  of  the  wall.  Any  one 
who  passes  will  think  that  you  are  in  a  drunken  sleep. 
I  will  creep  forward  and  possess  myself  of  the  steel 
caps  of  two  of  these  drunkards,  and  if  I  can  get  a 
couple  of  cloaks  so  much  the  better," 

There  was  no  difficulty  about  the  caps,  and  by 
dint  of  unbuckling  the  cloaks  and  rolling  their 
wearers  gently  over,  Walter  succeeded  at  last  in 
obtaining  two  of  them.  He  also  picked  up  a  sword 
for  Ralph — his  own  still  hung  in  its  sheath — and 
then  he  joined  his  companion,  and  the  two  putting 
on  the  steel  caps  and  cloaks  walked  quietly  to  the 
gate.  There  were  none  on  guard,  and  they  issued 
unmolested  into  the  town.  Here  all  was  revelry. 
Bonfires  blazed  in  the  streets.  Hogsheads  of  wine, 
with  the  heads  knocked  out,  stood  before  many  of 
the  houses  for  all  to  help  themselves  who  wished. 
Drunken  soldiers  reeled  along  shouting  snatches  of 
songs,  and  the  burghers  in  the  highest  state  of 
hilarity  thronged  the  ways. 

"  First  of  all,  Ralph,  we  will  have  a  drink  of  wine, 
for  I  am  chilled  to  the  bone." 

"  Ay,  and  so  am  I,"  Ralph  replied.  "  I  got  hot 
enough  climbing  that  rope,  but  now  the  cold  has 
got  hold  of  me  again,  and  my  teeth  are  chattering 
in  my  head." 

Picking  up  one  of  the  fallen  vessels  by  a  cask 


172  ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

they  dipped  it  in  and  took  a  long  draught  of  wine ; 
then,  turning  off  from  the  principal  streets,  they 
made  their  way  by  quiet  lanes  down- to  one  of  the 
gates.  To  their  dismay  they  found  that  this  was 
closed.  The  French  commanders  knew  that  Sir 
Walter  Manny  or  Salisbury  might  ere  this  be  press- 
ing forward  to  relieve  the  town,  and  that,  finding 
that  it  had  fallen,  they  might  attempt  to  recapture 
it  by  a  sudden  attack.  While  permitting,  therefore, 
the  usual  license,  after  a  successful  assault,  to  the 
main  body  of  their  forces,  they  had  placed  a  certain 
number  of  their  best  troops  on  the  walls,  giving 
them  a  handsome  largess  to  make  up  for  their  loss 
of  the  festivities. 

At  first  Walter  and  his  friend  feared  that  their 
retreat  was  cut  off  for  the  night,  but  several  other 
people  presently  arrived,  and  the  officer  on  guard 
said,  coming  out,  "  You  must  wait  awhile  ;  the  last 
batch  have  only  just  gone,  and  I  cannot  keep  open- 
ing and  closing  the  gate ;  in  half  an  hour  I  will  let 
you  out." 

Before  that  time  elapsed  some  fifty  or  sixty 
people,  anxious  to  return  to  their  villages,  gathered 
round  the  gate. 

"  Best  lay  aside  your  steel  cap,  Ealph,  before  we 
join  them,"  Walter  said.  "  In  the  dim  light  of  that 
lamp  none  will  notice  that  we  have  no  head  gear, 
but  if  it  were  to  glint  upon  the  steel  cap  the  officer 
might  take  us  for  deserters  and  question  us  as  to 
who  we  are." 

Presently  the  officer  came  out  from  the  guard- 


8T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  173 

room  again.  There  was  a  forward  movement  of  the 
little  crowd,  and  Walter  and  Kalph  closed  in  to 
their  midst.  The  gates  were  opened,  and  without 
any  question  the  villagers  passed  out,  and  the  gates 
were  shut  instantly  behind  them. 

Walter  and  his  comrade  at  once  started  at  a  brisk 
pace  and  walked  all  night  in  the  direction  of  Hen- 
nebon.  Their  clothes  soon  dried,  and  elated  at 
their  escape  from  danger  they  struggled  on  briskly. 
When  morning  broke  they  entered  a  wood,  and  lay 
there  till  evening,  as  they  feared  to  continue  their 
journey  lest  they  might  fall  into  the  hands  of  some 
roving  band  of  French  horse.  They  were,  too,  dog- 
tiredj  and  were  asleep  a  few  minutes  after  they  lay 
down.  The  sun  was  setting  when  they  awoke,  and 
as  soon  as  it  was  dark  they  resumed  their  journey. 

"I  don't  know  what  you  feel,  Master  Walter,  but 
I  am  well-nigh  famished.  It  is  thirty-six  hours 
since  1  swallowed  a  bit  of  food,  just  as  the  French 
were  moving  to  the  attack.  Hard  blows  I  don't 
mind — I  have  been  used  to  it ;  but  what  with  fight- 
ing, and  being  in  the  water  for  five  or  six  hours, 
and  climbing  up  that  endless  rope,  and  walking  all 
night  on  an  empty  stomach,  it  does  not  suit  me  at 
all." 

"  I  feel  ravenous  too,  Ralph,  but  there  is  no  help 
for  it.  We  shall  eat  nothing  till  we  are  within  the 
walls  of  Hennebon,  and  that  will  be  by  daylight  to- 
morrow if  all  goes  well.  Draw  your  belt  an  inch 
or  two  tighter,  it  will  help  to  keep  out  the  wolf." 

They  kept  on  all  night,  and  in  the  morning  saw 


174  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

to  their  delight  the  towers  of  Hennebon  in  the  dis- 
tance. It  was  well  that  it  was  no  further,  for  both 
were  so  exhausted  from  want  of  food  that  they 
could  with  difficulty  drag  their  legs  along. 

Upon  entering  the  town  Walter  made  his  way  at 
once  to  the  quarters  of  the  leader.  Sir  Walter  had 
just  risen,  and  was  delighted  at  the  sight  of  his 
esquire. 

"  I  had  given  you  up  for  dead,"  he  exclaimed. 
"  By  what  miracle  could  you  have  escaped  ?  Are 
you  alone  ?" 

"  I  have  with  me  only  my  faithful  follower,  Kalph 
Smith,  who  is  below  ;  but,  Sir  Walter,  for  mercy's 
sake  order  that  some  food  be  placed  before  us,  or 
we  shall  have  escaped  from  the  French  only  to  die 
of  hunger  here.  We  have  tasted  naught  since  the 
attack  on  Yannes  began.  Have  any  besides  us  es- 
caped ?" 

"Lord  Stafford  contrived,  with  two  or  three 
others,  to  cut  their  way  out  by  a  postern^gate,  bring- 
ing with  them  Eobert  of  Artois,  who  is  grievously 
wounded.  None  others,  save  you  and  your  man-at- 
arms,  have  made  their  way  here." 

In  a  few  minutes  a  cold  capon,  several  manchets 
of  bread,  and  a  stoop  of  wine  were  placed  before 
Walter,  while  Kalph's  wants  were  attended  to  be- 
low. When  he  had  satisfied  his  hunger  the  young 
esquire  related  his  adventures  to  Sir  Walter  and 
several  other  knights  and  nobles,  who  had  by  this 
time  gathered  in  the  room. 

"  In  faith,  Master  Somers,  you  have  got  well  out 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  175 

of  your  scrape,"  Sir  Walter  exclaimed.  "Had  I 
been  in  your  place  I  should  assuredly  have  perished, 
for  I  would  a  thousand  times  rather  meet  death 
sword  in  hand  than  drop  down  into  the  deep  hole 
of  that  well.  And  your  brains  served  you  shrewdly 
in  devising  a  method  of  escape.  What  say  you, 
gentlemen  V 

All  present  joined  in  expressions  of  praise  at  the 
lad's  coolness  and  presence  of  mind. 

"  You  are  doing  well,  young  sir,"  the  English 
leader  went  on,  "  and  have  distinguished  yourself 
on  each  occasion  on  which  we  have  been  engaged. 
I  shall  be  proud  when  the  time  comes  to  bestow 
upon  you  myself  the  order  of  knighthood  if  our 
king  does  not  take  the  matter  off  my  hands." 

A  little  later  Robert  of  Artois  died  of  his  wounds 
and  disappointment  at  the  failure  of  his  hopes. 

In  October  King  Edward  himself  set  sail  with  a 
great  army,  and  landing  in  Brittany  early  in  No- 
vember, marched  forward  through  the  country  and 
soon  reduced  Ploermel,  Malestrail,  Eedon,  and  the 
rest  of  the  province  in  the  vicinity  of  Yannes,  and 
then  laid  siege  to  that  town.  As  his  force  was  far 
more  than  sufficient  for  the  siege,  the  Earls  of  Nor- 
folk and  Warwick  were  dispatched  in  the  direction 
of  Nantes  to  reconnoiter  the  country  and  clear  it 
of  any  small  bodies  of  the  enemy  they  might  en- 
counter. In  the  mean  time  Edward  opened  negotia- 
tions with  many  of  the  Breton  lords,  who,  seeing 
that  such  powerful  aid  had  arrived  for  the  cause  of 
the  Countess  of  Montford,  were  easily  persuaded  to 


176  ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

change  sides.  Among  them  were  the  Lords  of  Clis- 
son,  Moheac,  Machecoul,  Eetz,  and  many  others  of 
less  importance. 

The  Count  of  Yalentinois,  who  commanded  the 
garrison  of  Yannes,  supported  the  siege  with  great 
courage  and  fortitude,  knowing  that  Charles  of 
Blois  and  the  King  of  France  were  collecting  a  great 
army  for  his  relief.  Uniting  their  forces,  they  ad- 
vanced toward  the  town.  Before  the  force  of  the 
French,  40,000  strong,  the  Earl  of  Norfolk  had 
fallen  back  and  rejoined  the  king ;  but  even  after 
this  junction  the  French  forces  exceeded  those  of 
Edward  fourfold.  They  advanced  toward  Yannes 
and  formed  a  large  intrenched  camp  near  that  of  the 
English,  who  thus,  while  still  besieging  Yannes, 
were  themselves  inclosed  by  a  vastly  superior  force. 
The  King  of  France  himself  arrived  at  the  French 
camp.  The  French,  although  so  greatly  superior, 
made  no  motion  toward  attacking  the  English,  but 
appeared  bent  upon  either  starving  them  out  or 
forcing  them  to  attack  the  strongly  intrenched  po- 
sition occupied  by  the  French. 

Provisions  were  indeed  running  short  in  the  Eng- 
lish camp,  and  the  arrival  of  supplies  from  Eng- 
land was  cut  off  by  a  strong  fleet  under  Don 
Louis,  which  cruised  off  the  coast  and  captured  all 
vessels  arriving  with  stores.  At  this  moment  two 
legates,  the  Cardinal  Bishop  of  Preneste  and  the 
Cardinal  Bishop  of  Tusculum,  arrived  from  the  pope 
and  strove  to  mediate  between  the  two  sovereigns 
and  to  bring  about  a  cessation  of  hostilities,  pointing 


BT.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  177 

out  to  them  the  scandal  and  desolation  which  their 
rivalry  caused  in  Christendom,  the  waste  of  noble 
lives,  the  devastation  of  once  happy  provinces,  and 
the  effusion  of  innocent  blood.  Going  from  camp 
to  camp  they  exhorted,  prayed,  and  reproached  the 
rival  sovereigns,  urging  that  while  Christians  were 
shedding  each  other's  blood  in  vain,  the  infidels 
were  daily  waxing  bolder  and  more  insolent.  Their 
arguments  would  have  been  but  of  little  use  had 
either  of  the  monarchs  felt  sure  of  victory.  King 
Edward,  however,  felt  that  his  position  was. grow- 
ing desperate,  for  starvation  was  staring  him  in  the 
face,  and  only  by  a  victory  over  an  immensely  supe- 
rior force  in  a  strongly  intrenched  position  could  he 
extricate  himself.  Upon  the  part  of  the  French, 
however,  circumstances  were  occurring  which  ren- 
dered them  anxious  for  a  release  from  their  position, 
for  they  were  not  without  their  share  of  suffering. 
While  the  English  army  lay  on  a  hill  the  French 
camp  was  pitched  on  low  ground.  An  unusually 
wet  season  had  set  in  with  bitterly  cold  wind.  The 
rain  was  incessant,  a  pestilence  had  destroyed  a  vast 
number  of  their  horses,  and  their  encampment  was 
flooded.  Their  forces  were  therefore  obliged  to 
spread  themselves  over  the  neighboring  fields,  and 
a  sudden  attack  by  the  English  might  have  been 
fatal. 

Thus  distress  pressed  upon  both  commanders,  and 
the  pope's  legates  found  their  exertions  at  last 
crowned  with  success.  A  suspension  of  hostilities 
was  agreed   to,  and  the   Dukes  of  Burgundy  and 


178  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

Bourbon  on  the  one  side  and  the  Earls  of  Lancaster, 
Northampton,  and  Salisbury  on  the  other  met  as 
commissioners  and  agreed  to  a  convention  by  which 
a  general  truce  was  to  be  made  from  the  date  of  the 
treaty  to  the  following  Michaelmas,  and  to  be  pro- 
longed from  that  day  for  the  full  term  of  three 
years.  It  was  agreed  that  the  truce  should  embrace 
not  only  the  sovereigns,  but  all  the  adherents  of 
each  of  them.  The  truce  was  to  hold  good  in 
Brittany  between  all  parties,  and  the  city  of  Yannes 
was  to  be  given  into  the  hand  of  the  cardinals  to 
dispose  of  as  they  chose.  It  was  specially  provided 
that  in  the  case  of  any  of  the  adherents  of  either 
party  in  the  duchies  of  Gascony  and  Brittany 
waging  war  against  each  other,  neither  of  the 
monarchs  should  either  directly  or  indirectly  meddle 
therewith,  nor  should  the  truce  be  at  all  broken 
thereby. 

Immediately  the  treaty  was  signed,  on  the  19th 
of  January,  1343,  the  King  of  France  dismissed  his 
army,  and  Edward  sailed  for  England  with  the 
greater  part  of  his  troops.  The  Countess  of  Mont- 
ford  and  her  son  accompanied  him,  and  the  posses- 
sions of  her  husband  in  Brittany  were  left  to  the 
guardianship  of  her  partisans,  with  a  small  but 
choice  body  of  English  troops. 

The  towns  which  had  fallen  into  their  hands  and 
still  remained  were  Brest,  Qaimper-Corentin,Quim- 
perle,  Redon,  and  Guerande  ;  Yannes  was  handed 
over  to  them  by  the  cardinals,  and  Hennebon.  of 
course,  remained  in  their  possession. 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  179 

Walter  returned  to  England  with  Sir  Walter 
Manny,  and  on  reaching  London  was  received  with 
delight  by  his  old  friends  Geoffrey  Ward  and 
Giles  Fletcher,  who  were  never  tired  of  listening 
to  his  tales  of  the  wars.  Dame  Yernon  also 
received  him  with  great  kindness,  and  congratu- 
lated him  warmly  upon  the  very  favorable  account 
which  Sir  Walter  Manny  had  given  of  his  zeal  and 
gallantry. 

The  time  now  for  awhile  passed  very  quietly. 
Walter  and  the  other  young  squires  practiced  dili- 
gently, under  the  instructions  of  Sir  Walter,  at 
knightly  exercises.  Walter  learned  to  bear  himself 
well  on  horseback  and  to  tilt  in  the  ring.  He  was 
already  a  skillful  swordsman,  but  he  spared  no  pains 
to  improve  himself  with  his  weapons.  The  court 
was  a  gay  one,  and  Walter,  as  a  favored  esquire  of 
one  of  the  foremost  knights  there,  was  admitted 
to  all  that  took  place.  His  courtly  education,  of 
course,  included  dancing,  and  when  he  went  down, 
as  he  often  did,  for  a  long  chat  with  his  old  friends, 
Geoffrey  often  said,  laughing,  that  he  was  growing 
such  a  fine  gentleman  that  he  hardly  liked  to  sit 
in  his  presence;  but  although  changed  in  man- 
ner, Walter  continued  to  be,  as  before,  a  frank, 
manly  young  fellow,  and  free  from  the  affectations 
which  were  so  general  among  the  young  men  of  the 
court. 


180  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


A   STORMY    INTERVIEW. 


Soon  after  Walter's  return  from  France  Dame 
Vernon  returned  to  her  country  estate,  and  a  year 
passed  before  he  again  saw  her.  During  this  time 
the  truce  which  had  been  established  between  Eng- 
land and  France  had  remained  unbroken.  It  was 
certain,  however,  that  ere  long  the  two  powers 
would  again  come  to  blows.  The  King  of  England 
had  honorably  observed  the  terms  of  the  treaty. 
Upon  his  return  home  he  had  entirely  disbanded 
his  army  and  had  devoted  his  whole  attention  to 
increasing  the  trade  and  prosperity  of  the  country. 
The  measures  which  he  took  to  do  this  were  not 
always  popular  Avith  the  people  of  England,  for 
seeing  how  greatly  they  excelled  the  English  manu- 
facturers Edward  encouraged  large  numbers  of 
Flemings  and  other  foreign  workmen  to  settle  in 
London,  and  gave  them  many  privileges  to  induce 
them  to  do  so ;  this  the  populace  strongly  resented. 
There  was  a  strong  ill-feeling  against  the  Flemings 
and  serious  popular  riots  took  place,  for  the  English 
traders  and  workmen  considered  that  these  foreign- 
ers were  taking  the  bread  from  their  mouths.     The 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  igl 

king,  however,  was  wiser  than  his  people,  he  saw  that 
although  the  English  weavers  were  able  to  produce 
coarse  cloths,  yet  that  all  of  the  finer  sort  had  to 
be  imported  from  the  Continent.  He  deemed  that 
in  time  the  Flemings  would  teach  their  art  to  his 
subjects,  and  that  England  would  come  to  vie  with 
the  Low  Countries  in  the  quality  of  her  produce. 
Such  was  indeed  afterward  the  case,  and  England 
gained  greatly  by  the  importation  of  the  industri- 
ous Flemings,  just  as  she  afterward  profited  from 
the  expulsion  from  France  of  tens  of  thousands  of 
Protestant  workmen  who  brought  here  many  of 
the  manufactures  of  which  France  had  before  the 
monopoly.  The  relations  between  England  and  the 
Flemings  were  at  this  time  very  close,  for  the  latter 
regarded  England  as  her  protector  against  the  am- 
bition of  the  King  of  France. 

But  while  King  Edward  had  laid  aside  all 
thought  of  war,  such  was  not  the  case  with  Philip 
of  Yalois.  He  had  retired  after  the  signature  of 
the  treaty  full  of  rage  and  humiliation  ;  for  hitherto 
in  all  their  struggles  his  English  rival  had  had  the 
better  of  him,  and  against  vastly  superior  forces 
had  foiled  all  his  efforts  and  had  gained  alike  glory 
and  military  advantage.  King  Edward  had  hardly 
set  sail  when  Philip  began  to  break  the  terms  of 
truce  by  inciting  the  adherents  of  Charles  of  Blois 
to  attack  those  of  De  Montford,  and  by  rendering 
assistance  to  them  with  money  and  men.  He  also 
left  no  means  untried  to  detach  Flanders  from  its 
alliance  with  England.     Several  castles  and  towns 


183  ST.  GEOROE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

in  Brittany  were  wrested  from  the  partisans  of  De 
Montford,  and  King  Edward,  after  many  remon- 
strances at  the  breaches  of  the  conditions  of  the 
truce,  began  again  to  make  preparations  for  taking 
the  field.  Several  brilliant  tournaments  were  held 
and  every  means  were  taken  to  stir  up  the  warlike 
spirit  of  the  people. 

One  day  Walter  had  attended  his  lord  to  the 
palace  and  was  waiting  in  the  anteroom  with  many 
other  squires  and  gentlemen,  while  Sir  Walter, 
with  some  other  noblemen,  was  closeted  with  the 
king,  discussing  the  means  to  be  adopted  for  raising 
funds  for  a  renewal  of  the  war  with  France,  when  a 
knight  entered  whom  Walter  had  not  previously 
seen  at  court. 

"  Who  is  that  ?"  he  asked  one  of  his  acquaintances ; 
"  methinks  I  know  his  face,  though  it  passes  my 
memory  to  say  where  I  have  seen  it." 

"  He  has  been  away  from  England  for  some  two 
years,"  his  friend  answered,  "  That  is  Sir  James 
Carnegie ;  he  is  a  cousin  of  the  late  Sir  Jasper 
Yernon ;  he  left  somewhat  suddenly  a  short  time 
after  Dame  Yernon  had  that  narrow  escape  from 
drowning  that  you  wot  of ;  he  betook  himself  then 
to  Spain,  where  he  has  been  fighting  the  Moors ;  he 
is  said  to  be  a  valiant  knight,  but  otherwise  he 
bears  but  an  indifferent  good  reputation." 

Walter  remembered  the  face  now ;  it  was  that  of 
the  knight  he  had  seen  enter  the  hut  of  the  river 
pirate  on  the  Lambeth  marshes.  When  released 
from  duty  he  at  once  made  his  way  to  the  lodging 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  183 

of  Dame  Yernon.  Walter  was  now  nineteen,  for  a 
year  had  elapsed  since  the  termination  of  the  French 
war,  and  he  was  in  stature  and  strength  the  match 
of  most  men,  while  his  skill  at  knightly  exercises, 
as  well  as  with  the  sword,  was  recognized  as  pre- 
eminent among  all  the  young  esquires  of  the  court. 

After  the  first  greeting  he  said  to  Dame  Yernon  : 
"  I  think  it  right  to  tell  you,  lady,  that  I  have  but 
now,  in  the  king's  anteroom,  seen  the  man  who 
plotted  against  your  life  in  the  hut  at  Lambeth. 
His  face  is  a  marked  one  and  I  could  not  mistake  it. 
I  hear  that  he  is  a  cousin  of  yours,  one  Sir  James 
Carnegie,  as  you  doubtless  recognized  from  my 
description  of  him.  I  came  to  tell  you  in  order  that 
you  might  decide  what  my  conduct  should  be.  If 
you  wish  it  so  I  will  keep  the  secret  in  my  breast ; 
but  if  you  fear  aught  from  him  I  will  openly  accuse 
him  before  the  king  of  the  crime  he  attempted,  and 
shall  be  ready  to  meet  him  in  the  ordeal  of  battle 
should  he  claim  it." 

"  I  have  seen  Sir  James,"  Lady  Yernon  said.  "  I 
had  a  letter  writ  in  a  feigned  hand  telling  him  that 
his  handiwork  in  the  plot  against  my  life  was  known, 
and  warning  him  that,  unless  he  left  England,  the 
proofs  thereof  would  be  laid  before  justice.  He  at 
once  sailed  for  Spain,  whence  he  has  returned  but  a 
few  days  since.  He  does  not  know  for  certain  that 
I  am  aware  of  his  plottings  against  us ;  but  he  must 
have  seen  by  my  reception  of  him  when  he  called 
that  I  no  longer  regard  him  with  the  friendship 
which  I  formerly  entertained.    I  have  received  a 


184  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

message  from  him  that  he  will  call  upon  me  this 
evening,  and  that  he  trusts  he  will  find  me  alone, 
as  he  would  fain  confer  with  me  on  private  matters. 
When  I  have  learned  his  intentions  I  shall  be  the 
better  able  to  judge  what  course  I  had  best  adopt. 
I  would  fain,  if  it  may  be,  let  the  matter  rest.  Sir 
James  has  powerful  interest,  and  I  would  not  have 
him  for  an  open  enemy  if  I  can  avoid  it ;  besides, 
all  the  talk  and  publicity  which  so  grave  an  accusa- 
tion against  a  knight,  and  he  of  mine  own  family, 
would  entail,  would  be  very  distasteful  to  me;  but 
should  I  find  it  necessary  for  the  sake  of  my  child, 
I  shall  not  shrink  from  it.  I  trust,  however,  that  it 
will  not  come  to  that ;  but  I  shall  not  hesitate,  if 
need  be,  to  let  him  know  that  I  am  acquainted  with 
his  evil  designs  toward  us.  I  will  inform  you  of  as 
much  of  our  interview  as  it  is  necessary  that  you 
should  know." 

That  evening  Sir  James  Carnegie  called  upon 
Dame  Yernon.  "  I  would  not  notice  it  the  other 
day,  fair  cousin,"  he  said,  in  return  for  her  stiff  and 
ceremonious  greeting ;  "  but  methinks  that  you  are 
mightily  changed  in  your  bearing  toward  me.  I 
had  looked  on  my  return  from  my  long  journeying 
for  something  of  the  sisterly  warmth  with  which 
you  once  greeted  me,  but  I  find  you  as  cold  and 
hard  as  if  I  had  been  altogether  a  stranger  to  you. 
I  would  fain  know  in  what  way  I  have  forfeited 
your  esteem." 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  enter  into  bygones.  Sir  James," 
the  lady  said,  "  and  would  fain  let  the  past  sleep  if 


ST,  OEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND.  185 

you  will  let  me.  Let  us,  then,  turn  without  more 
ado  to  the  private  matters  concerning  which  you 
wished  to  speak  with  me." 

"  If  such  is  your  mood,  fair  dame,  1  must  needs 
fall  in  with  it,  though  in  no  way  able  to  understand 
your  allusion  to  the  past,  wherein  my  conscience 
holds  me  guiltless  of  aught  which  could  draw  upon 
me  your  disfavor.  I  am  your  nearest  male  relative, 
and  as  such  would  fain  confer  with  you  touching 
the  future  of  young  Mistress  Edith,  your  daughter. 
She  is  now  nigh  thirteen  years  of  age,  and  is  the 
heiress  of  broad  lands ;  is  it  not  time  that  she  were 
betrothed  to  one  capable  of  taking  care  of  them  for 
her,  and  leading  your  vassals  to  battle  in  these 
troubled  times  V 

"Thanks,  Sir  James,  for  your  anxiety  about  my 
child,"  Dame  Yernon  said  coldly.  "  She  is  a  ward 
of  the  king.  I  am  in  no  way  anxious  that  an  early 
choice  should  be  made  for  her ;  but  our  good  Queen 
Philippa  has  promised  that,  when  the  time  shall 
come,  his  majesty  shall  hot  dispose  of  her  hand 
without  my  wishes  being  in  some  way  consulted  ; 
and  I  have  no  doubt  that  when  the  time  shall  come 
that  she.  is  of  marriageable  age— and  I  would  not 
that  this  should  be  before  she  has  gained  eighteen 
years,  for  I  like  not  the  over  young  marriages 
which  are  now  in  fashion — a  knight  may  be  found 
for  her  husband  capable  of  taking  care  of  her  and 
her  possessions ;  but  may  I  ask  if,  in  so  speaking  to 
me,  you  have  any  one  in  your  mind's  eye  as  a 
suitor  for  her  hand  ?"* 


186  ST.  OEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"  Your  manner  is  not  encouraging,  certes  ;  but  1 
had  mj  plan,  which  would,  I  hoped,  have  met  with 
your  approval.  I  am  the  young  lady's  cousin,  and 
her  nearest  male  relative;  and  although  we  are 
within  the  limited  degrees,  there  will  be  no  diffi- 
culty in  obtaining  a  dispensation  from  Rome.  I  am 
myself  passably  well  off,  and  some  of  the  mortgages 
which  I  had  been  forced  to  lay  upon  my  estates 
have  been  cleared  off  during  my  absence.  I  have 
returned  home  with  some  reputation,  and  with  a 
goodly  sum  gained  in  the  wars  with  the  Moors.  I 
am  older  than  my  cousin,  certainly ;  but  as  I  am 
still  but  thirty-two,  this  would  not,  I  hope,  be 
deemed  an  obstacle,  and  methou^ht  that  you  would 
rather  intrust  her  to  your  affectionate  cousin  than 
to  a  stranger.  The  king  has  received  me  very 
graciously,  and  would,  1  trust,  offer  no  opposition 
to  my  suit  were  it  backed  by  your  good-will." 

"  I  suppose.  Sir  James,"  Dame  Yernon  said,  "  that 
I  should  thank  you  for  the  offer  which  you  have 
made ;  but  I  can  only  reply,  that  while  duly  con- 
scious of  the  high  honor  you  have  done  my  daugh- 
ter by  3^our  offer,  I  would  rather  see  her  in  her 
grave  than  wedded  to  you." 

The  knight  leaped  from  his  seat  with  a  fierce  ex- 
clamation. "This  is  too  much,"  he  exclaimed, 
"  and  I  have  a  right  to  know  ^\  hy  such  an  offer  on 
my  part  should  be  answered  by  disdain,  and  even 
insolence." 

"  You  have  a  right  to  know,"  Dame  Yernon  an- 
swered quietly,  "  and  I  will  tell  you.     I  repeat  that 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  187 

I  would  rather  see  my  child  in  her  grave  than 
wedded  to  a  man  who  attempted  to  compass  the 
murder  of  her  and  her  mother." 

"  What  wild  words  are  these  ?"  Sir  James  asked 
sternly.  "  What  accusation  is  this  that  you  dare  to 
bring  against  me  ?" 

"  I  repeat  what  1  said,  Sir  James,"  Dame  Alice 
replied  quietly.  "  I  know  that  you  plotted  with  the 
water  pirates  of  Lambeth  to  upset  our  boat  as  we 
came  down  the  Thames ;  that  you  treacherously  de- 
layed us  at  Richmond  in  order  that  we  might  not 
reach  London  before  dark  ;  and  that  by  enveloping 
me  in  a  white  cloak  you  gave  a  signal  by  which  I 
might  be  known  to  your  creatures." 

The  knight  stood  for  a  moment  astounded.  He 
was  aware  that  the  fact  that  he  had  had  some  share 
in  the  outrage  was  known,  and  was  not  surprised 
that  his  cousin  was  acquainted  with  the  secret ;  but 
that  she  should  know  all  the  details  with  which  but 
one  besides  himself  was,  as  he  believed,  acquainted, 
completely  stupefied  him.  He  rapidly,  however, 
recovered  himself. 

" I  recall  now,"  he  said  scornfully,  "the  evidence 
which  was  given  before  the  justices  by  some  ragged 
city  bo}^,  to  the  effect  that  he  had  overheard  a  few 
words  of  a  conversation  between  some  ruffian  over 
in  the  Lambeth  marshes  and  an  unknown  person  ; 
but  it  is  new  to  me  indeed  that  there  was  any  sus- 
picion that  I  was  the  person  alluded  to,  still  less 
that  a  lady  of  my  own  family,  in  whose  affection  I 
believed,  should  credit  so  monstrous  an  accusatioBu" 


188  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

'^  I  would  that  I  could  discredit  it,  Sir  James," 
Dame  Yernon  said  sadly ;  "  but  the  proofs  were  too 
strong  for  me.  Much  more  of  your  conversation 
than  was  narrated  in  court  was  overheard,  and  it 
was  at  my  request  that  the  ragged  boy,  as  you  call 
him,  kept  silence." 

"  And  is  it  possible,"  the  knight  asked  indignant- 
ly, "  that  you  believed  the  word  of  a  fellow  like  this 
to  the  detriment  of  your  kinsman  ?  Why,  in  any 
court  of  law  the  word  of  such  a  one  as  opposed  to 
that  of  a  knight  and  gentleman  of  honor  would  not 
be  taken  for  a  moment." 

"You  are  mistaken,  sir,"  Dame  Yernon  said 
haughtily.  "  You  may  remember,  in  the  first  place, 
that  the  lad  who  overheard  this  conversation  risked 
his  life  to  save  me  and  my  daughter  from  the  con- 
sequences of  the  attack  which  he  heard  planned  ;  in 
the  second  place,  he  was  no  ragged  lad,  but  the  ap- 
prenticeof  a  well-known  citizen  ;  thirdly — and  this 
is  of  importance,  since  he  has  recognized  you  since 
your  return,  and  is  ready,  should  I  give  him  the 
word,  to  denounce  you — he  is  no  mere  apprentice 
boy,  but  is  of  gentle  blood,  seeing  that  he  is  the  son 
of  Sir  Koland  Somers,  the  former  possessor  of  the 
lands  which  I  hold,  and  that  he  is  in  high  favor  with 
the  goodknight  Sir  Walter  Manny,  whose  esquire  he 
now  is,  and  under  whom  he  distinguished  himself  in 
the  wars  in  France,  and  is,  as  Sir  Walter  assures  me, 
certain  to  win  his  spurs  ere  long.  Thus  you  see  his 
bare  word  would  be  of  equal  value  to  your  own, 
besides  the  fact  that  his  evidence  does  not  rest  upon 


8T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND  189 

mere  assertion  ;  but  that  the  man  in  the  hut  prom- 
ised to  do  what  you  actually  performed,  namely,  to 
delay  me  at  Richmond,  and  to  wrap  me  in  a  white 
cloak  in  order  that  1  might  be  recognized  by  the 
river  pirates." 

Sir  James  was  silent.  In  truth,  as  he  saw,  the 
evidence  was  overwhelmingly  strong  against  him. 
After  awhile  he  stammered  out,  "  I  cannot  deny 
that  I  was  the  man  in  question  ;  but  I  swear  to  you 
that  this  boy  was  mistaken,  and  that  the  scoundrel 
acted  altogether  beyond  my  instructions,  which 
were  simply  that  he  should  board  the  boat  and  carry 
you  and  your  daughter  away  to  a  safe  place." 

"And  with  what  object,  sir,"  Dame  Yernon 
said  contemptuously,  "  was  I  to  be  thus  taken 
away  ?" 

"  I  do  not  seek  to  excuse  myself,"  the  knight  re- 
plied calmly,  having  now  recovered  his  self-posses- 
sion, "for  I  own  I  acted  wrongly  and  basely  ;  but 
in  truth  I  loved  you,  and  would  fain  have  made  you 
my  wife.  I  knew  that  you  regarded  me  with  only 
the  calm  affection  of  a  kinswoman ;  but  I  thought 
that  were  you  in  my  power  you  would  consent  to 
purchase  your  freedom  with  your  hand.  I  know 
now  that  I  erred  greatly.  I  acknowledge  my  fault, 
and  that  my  conduct  was  base  and  unknightly,  and 
my  only  excuse  is  the  great  love  I  bore  you." 

"And  which,"  the  lady  said  sarcastically,  "you 
have  now  transferred  to  my  daughter.  I  congratu- 
late you,  Sir  James,  upon  the  possession  of  a  ready 
wit  and  an  invention  which  does  not  fail  you  at  a 


190  'ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

pinch,  and  of  a  tongue  which  repeats  unfalteringly 
any  fable  which  your  mind  may  dictate.  You  do 
not,  I  suppose,  expect  me  to  believe  the  tale.  Still, 
I  own  that  it  is  a  well-devised  one,  and  might,  at  a 
pinch,  pass  muster  ;  but  fear  not.  Sir  James.  A^ 
hitherto  I  have  kept  silence  as  to  the  author  of  the 
outrage  committed  upon  me,  so  I  have  no  intention 
of  proclaiming  the  truth  now  unless  you  force  me 
to  do  so.  Suffice  that  both  for  myself  and  for  my 
daughter  I  disclaim  the  honor  of  your  hand.  So 
long  as  you  offer  no  molestation  to  us,  and  abstain 
from  troubling  us  in  any  way,  so  long  will  my 
mouth  be  sealed  ;  and  I  would  fain  bury  in  my  breast 
the  memory  of  your  offense.  I  will  not  give  the 
world's  tonguQ,occasion  to  wag  by  any  open  breach 
between  kinsfolk,  and  shall  therefore  in  public  salute 
you  as  an  acquaintance,  btjt  under  no  pretense 
whatever  will  I  admit  you  to  any  future  private  in- 
terview. Kow  leave  me,  sir,  and  I  trust  that  your 
future  life  will  show  that  you  deeply  regret  the 
outrage  which  in  your  greed  for  my  husband's  lands 
you  were  temtped  to  commit." 

Without  a  word  Sir  James  turned  and  left  the 
room,  white  with  shame  and  anger,  but  with  an  in- 
ward sense  of  congratulation  at  the  romance  which 
he  had,  on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  invented,  and 
which  would,  he  felt  sure,  be  accepted  by  the  world 
as  probable,  in  the  event  of  the  share  he  had  in  the 
matter  being  made  public,  either  upon  the  denunci- 
ation of  Dame  Yernon  or  in  any  other  manner. 

One  determination,  however,  he  made,  and  swore, 


ST.  OEOR&E  FOR  ENGLAND.  191 

to  himself,  that  he  would  bitterly  avenge  himself 
upon  the  youth  whose  interference  had  thwarted  his 
plans,  and  whose  report  to  his  kinswoman  had 
turned  her  mind  against  him.  He,  at  any  rate, 
should  be  put  out  of  the  way  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity, and  thus  the  only  witness  against  himself  be 
removed ;  for  Lady  Yernon's  own  unsupported 
story  would  be  merely  her  word  against  his,  and 
could  be  treated  as  the  malicious  fiction  of  an  angry 
woman. 

The  following  day  Dame  Yernon  sent  for  "Walter, 
and  informed  him  exactly  what  had  taken  place. 

"  Between  Sir  James  and  me,"  she  said,  "  there  is, 
you  see,  a  truce.  We  are  enemies,  but  we  agree  to 
lay  aside  our  arms  for  the  time.  But,  Walter,  you 
must  be  on  your  guard.  You  know  as  well  as  I  do 
how  dangerous  this  man  is,  and  how  good  a  cause 
he  has  to  hate  you.  I  would  not  have  divulged 
your  name  had  I  not  known  that  the  frequency  of 
your  visits  here  and  the  encouragement  which  I 
openly  give  you  as  the  future  suitor  of  my  daughter, 
would  be  sure  to  come  to  his  ears,  and  he  would 
speedily  discover  that  it  was  you  who  saved  our 
lives  on  the  Thames  and  gave  your  testimony  before 
the  justices  as  to  the  conversation  in  the  hut  on  the 
marshes.  Thus  I  forestalled  what  he  would  in  a 
few  days  have  learned." 

"  I  fear  him  not,  lady,"  Walter  said  calmly.  "  1 
can  hold  mine  own,  I  hope,  against  him  in  arms, 
and  having  the  patronage  and  friendship  of  Sir 
Walter    Manny  I  am    above    any  petty   malice. 


192  ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

^Nevertheless,  I  will  hold  myself  on  my  guard.  I 
will,  so  far  as  possible,  avoid  any  snare  which  he 
may,  as  'tis  not  unlikely,  set  for  my  life,  and  will, 
so  far  as  I  honorably  can,  avoid  any  quarrel  with 
which  he  may  seek  to  saddle  me." 

A  few  days  later  Walter  again  met  Sir  James 
Carnegie  in  the  king's  anteroom,  and  saw  at  once, 
by  the  fixed  look  of  hate  with  which  he  had  re- 
garded him,  that  he  had  already  satisfied  himself 
of  his  identity.  He  returned  the  knight's  stare 
with  a  cold  look  of  contempt.  The  knight  moved 
toward  him  and  in  a  low  tone  said,  "  Beware,  young 
sir,  I  have  a  heavy  reckoning  against  you,  and 
James  Carnegie  never  forgets  debts  of  that  kind  1" 

"  I  am  warned.  Sir  James,"  Walter  said  calmly, 
but  in  the  same  low  tone,  "  and,  believe  me,  I  hold 
but  very  lightly  the  threats  of  one  who  does  not 
succeed  even  when  he  conspires  against  the  lives  of 
women  and  children." 

Sir  James  started  as  if  he  had  been  struck.  Then 
with  a  great  effort  he  recovered  his  composure,  and, 
repeating  the  word  "  Beware !"  walked  across  to  the 
other  side  of  the  chamber.  * 

The  next  day  Walter  went  down  the  river  and 
had  a  talk  with  his  friend  Geoffrey. 

"  You  must  beware,  lad,"  the  armorer  said  when 
he  told  him  of  the  return  of  Sir  James  Carnegie 
and  the  conversation  which  had  taken  place  between 
them.  "  This  man  is  capable  of  anything,  and  careth 
not  where  hb  v.!:ooseth  his  instruments.  The  man 
of  the  hut  at  Lambeth  has  never  been  caught  since 


iST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  193 

his  escape  from  Eichmond  Jail— thanks,  doubtless, 
to  the  gold  of  his  employer — and,  for  aught  we 
know,  may  still  be  lurking  in  the  marshes  there,  or 
in  the  purlieus  of  the  city.  He  will  have  a  grudge 
against  you  as  well  as  his  employer,  and  in  him  Sir 
James  would  find  a  ready  instrument.  He  is  no 
doubt  connected,  as  before,  with  a  gang  of  water 
pirates  and  robbers,  and  it  is  not  one  sword  alone 
that  you  would  have  to  encounter.  I  think  not  that 
you  are  in  danger  just  at  present,  for  he  wonld 
know  that,  in  case  of  your  murder,  the  suspicions 
of  Dame  Yernon  and  of  any  others  who  may  know 
the  motive  which  he  has  in  getting  rid  of  you  would 
be  excited,  and  he  might  be  accused  in  having  had 
a  share  in  your  death.  Still,  it  would  be  so  hard  to 
prove  aught  against  him  that  he  may  be  ready  to 
run  the  risk  in  order  to  rid  himself  of  you.  Look 
here,  Walter,  What  think  you  of  this  ?"  and  the 
smith  drew  out  from  a  coffer  a  shirt  of  mail  of  finer 
work  than  Walter  had  ever  before  seen. 

"  Ay,  lad,  I  knew  you  would  be  pleased,"  he  said 
in  answer  to  Walter's  exclamation  at  the  fineness 
of  the  workmanship.  "  I  bought  this  a  month  ago 
from  a  Jew  merchant  who  had  recently  come  from 
Italy.  How  he  got  it  I  know  not,  but  I  doubt  if  it 
were  honestly,  or  he  would  have  demanded  a  higher 
price  than  I  paid  him.  He  told  me  that  it  was  made 
by  the  first  armorer  in  Milan,  and  was  constructed 
especially  for  a  cardinal  of  the  church,  who  had 
made  many  enemies  by  his  evil  deeds  and  could  not 
sleep  for  fear  of  assassination.   At  his  death  it  came, 


194  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

the  Jew  said,  into  his  possession.  I  suppose  some 
rascally  attendant  took  it  as  a  perquisite,  and,  know- 
ing not  of  its  value,  sold  it  for  a  few  ducats  to  the 
Jew.  However,  it  is  of  the  finest  workmanship. 
It  is,  as  you  see,  double,  and  each  link  is  made  of 
steel  so  tough  that  no  dagger  or  sword  point  will 
pierce  it.  I  put  it  on  a  block  and  tried  the  metal 
m3^self,  and  broke  one  of  my  best  daggers  on  it 
without  a  single  link  giving.  Take  it,  lad.  You 
are  welcome  to  it.  I  bought  it  with  a  special  eye 
to  you,  thinking  that  you  might  wear  it  under  your 
armor  in  battle  without  greatly  adding  to  the 
weight ;  but  for  such  dangers  as  threaten  you  now 
it  is  invaluable.  It  is  so  light  and  soft  that  none 
will  dream  that  you  have  it  under  your  doublet,  and 
I  warrant  me  it  will  hold  you  safe  against  the  dag- 
gers of  Sir  James'  rufiians." 

Walter  did  not  like  taking  a  gift  so  valuable,  for 
his  apprenticeship  as  an  armorer  had  taught  him 
the  extreme  rarity  and  costliness  of  so  fine  a  piece 
of  work.  Geoffrey,  however,  would  not  hear  of  his 
refusal,  and  insisted  on  his  then  and  there  taking  off 
his  doublet  and  putting  it  on.  It  fitted  closely  to 
the  body,  descending  just  below  the  hips,  and  com- 
ing well  up  on  the  neck,  while  the  arms  extended 
to  the  wrists. 

"  There  !"  the  smith  said  with  delight.  "  Now 
you  are  safe  against  sword  or  dagger,  save  for  a 
sweeping  blow  at  the  head,  and  that  your  sword 
can  be  trusted  to  guard.  Never  take  it  off,  Walter, 
save  when  you  sleep  ;  and  except  when  m  3^our  own 


ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  195 

bed,  at  Sir  Walter  Manny's,  I  should  advise  you  to 
wear  it  even  at  night.  The  weight  is  nothing,  and 
it  will  not  incommode  you.  So  long  as  this  caitiff 
knight  lives,  your  life  will  not  be  safe.  When  he  is 
dead  you  may  hang  up  the  shirt  of  mail  with  a  light 
heart." 


196  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

JACOB    VAN   ARTEVELDE. 

King  Edward  found  no  difficulty  in  awakening 
the  war  spirit  of  England  anew,  for  the  King  of 
France,  by  an  act  of  infamous  treachery,  in  spite 
of  the  solemn  terms  of  the  treaty,  excited  against 
himself  the  indignation  not  only  of  England  but  of 
all  Europe.  Oliver  de  Clisson,  with  fourteen  other 
nobles  of  Brittany  and  Normandy,  were  arrested  by 
his  order,  taken  to  Paris,  and  without  form  of  trial 
there  decapitated.  This  act  of  treachery  and  in- 
justice aroused  disgust  and  shame  among  the  French 
nobles,  and  murmurs  and  discontent  spread  through- 
out the  whole  country. 

In  Brittany  numbers  of  the  nobles  fell  off  from 
the  cause  of  Charles  of  Blois,  and  King  Edward 
hastened  his  preparations  to  avenge  the  butchery 
of  the  adherents  of  the  house  of  Montford.  Philip, 
however,  in  defiance  of  the  murmurs  of  his  own 
subjects,  of  the  indignant  remonstrances  of  Edward, 
and  even  those  of  the  pope,  who  was  devoted  to  his 
cause,  continued  the  course  he  had  begun,  and  a 
number  of  other  nobles  were  seized  and  executed. 
Godfrey  of  Harcourt  alone,  warned  by  the  fate  of 
his  companions,  refused   to   obey  the  summons   of 


ST.  OEOUOE  FOR  ENGLAND.  19'? 

the  king  to  repair  to  Paris,  and  fled  to  Brabant. 
His  property  in  France  was  at  once  seized  by 
Philip;  and  Godfrey,  finding  that  the  Duke  of 
Brabant  would  be  unable  to  shield  him  from  Phil- 
ip's vengeance,  fled  to  the  English  court,  and  did 
homage  to  Edward. 

On  the  24th  of  April,  1345,  Edward  determined 
no  longer  to  allow  Philip  to  continue  to  benefit  by 
his  constant  violations  of  the  truce,  and  accordingly 
sent  a  defiance  to  the  King  of  France. 

De  Montford,  who  had  just  succeeded  in  escaping 
from  his  prison  in  Paris,  arrived  at  this  moment  in 
England,  and  shortly  afterward  set  sail  with  a  small 
army  under  the  command  of  the  Earl  of  IS'orthamp- 
ton  for  Brittany,  while  the  Earl  of  Derby  took  his 
departure  with  a  larger  force  for  the  defense  of 
Guienne. 

King  Edward  set  about  raising  a  large  army, 
which  he  determined  to  lead  himself,  but  before 
passing  over  to  France  he  desired  to  strengthen  his 
hold  of  Flanders.  The  constant  intrigues  of  Philip 
there  had  exercised  a  great  effect.  The  count  of 
that  country  was  already  strongly  in  his  interest, 
and  it  was  only  the  influence  of  Jacob  van  Arte- 
velde  which  maintained  the  alliance  with  England. 
This  man  had,  by  his  talent  and  energy,  gained  an 
immense  influence  over  his  countrymen  ;  but  his 
commanding  position  and  ability  had  naturally  ex- 
cited the  envy  and  hatred  of  many  of  his  fellow- 
citizens,  among  whom  was  the  dean  of  the  weavers 
erf  Ghent,  one  Gerard   Denis.     The  weavers   were 


198  J3T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

the  most  powerful  body  in  this  city,  and  had  aHvays 
been  noted  for  their  turbulence  and  faction  ;  and  on 
a  Monday  in  the  month  of  May,  1345,  a  great 
battle  took  place  in  the  market-place  between  them 
and  the  fullers,  of  whom  1,500  were  slain.  This 
victory  of  the  weavers  strengthened  the  power  of 
the  party  hostile  to  Artevelde  and  the  English  con- 
nection ;  and  the  former  saw  that  unless  he  could 
induce  his  countrymen  to  take  some  irretrievable 
step  in  favor  of  England  they  would  ultimately  fall 
back  into  the  arms  of  France.  Accordingly  he 
invited  Edward  to  pass  over  with  a  strong  force 
into  Flanders,  where  he  would  persuade  the  Flem- 
ings to  make  the  Prince  of  Wales  their  duke. 
King  Edward  at  once  accepted  the  offer,  and  sailing 
from  Sandwich  on  the  3d  of  July  arrived  in  safety 
at  Sluys.  His  intention  had  been  kept  a  profound 
secret,  and  his  arrival  created  the  greatest  surprise 
throughout  Flanders.  He  did  not  disembark,  but 
received  on  board  a  ship  with  great  honor  and 
magnificence  the  burgomasters  of  the  various  towns 
who  appeared  to  welcome  him.  The  king  had 
brought  with  him  the  Prince  of  Wales,  now  fifteen 
years  old,  who  wore  a  suit  of  black  armor  and  was 
therefore  called  "  the  Black  Prince." 

Walter  Somers  was  on  board  the  royal  vessel. 
The  Prince  of  Wales  had  not  forgotten  the  promise 
which  he  had  six  years  before  made  to  him,  and 
had  asked  Sir  Walter  Manny  to  allow  him  to  follow 
under  his  banner. 

"  You  are  taking  my  most  trusty  squire  from  me, 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND,  199 

prince,"  the  knight  said ;  "  for  although  I  have 
many  brave  young  fellows  in  my  following,  there 
is  not  one  whom  I  yalue  so  much  as  Walter  Somers, 
It  is  but  fair,  however,  that  you  should  have  him, 
since  you  told  me  when  I  first  took  him  that  he  was 
to  follow  your  banner  when  you  were  old  enough 
to  go  to  the  wars.  You  can  rely  upon  him  im- 
plicitly. He  cares  not  for  the  gayeties  of  which 
most  young  men  of  his  age  think  so  much.  He  is 
ever  ready  for  duty,  and  he  possesses  a  wisdom  and 
sagacity  which  will  some  day  make  him  a  great 
leader." 

Walter  was  sorry  to  leave  his  patron,  but  the  step 
w^as  of  course  a  great  advancement,  and  excited  no 
little  envy  among  his  companions,  for  among  the 
young  esquires  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  were  the 
sons  of  many  of  the  noblest  families  of  England. 

Sir  Walter  presented  him  on  leaving  with  a 
heavy  purse.  "  Your  expenses  will  be  large,"  he 
said,  "among  so  many  young  gallants,  and  you 
must  do  credit  to  me  as  well  as  to  yourself.  The 
young  prince  is  generous  to  a  fault,  and  as  he  holds 
you  in  high  favor,  both  from  his  knowledge  of  you 
and  from  my  report,  you  will,  I  know,  lack  nothing 
when  you  are  once  fairly  embarked  in  his  service ; 
but  it  is  needful  that  when  you  first  join  you  should 
be  provided  with  many  suits  of  courtly  raiment  of 
cloth  of  gold  and  silk,  which  were  not  needed  while 
you  were  in  the  service  of  a  simple  knight  like  my- 
self, but  which  must  be  worn  by  a  companion  of 
the  heir  of  England." 


200  ST.  OEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

Walter  had  hoped  that  Sir  James  Carnegie  would 
have  accompanied  the  forces  of  either  of  the  Earls 
of  ^Northampton  or  Derby,  but  he  found  that  he 
had  attached  himself  to  the  ro3^al  army. 

Ralph  of  course  followed  Walter's  fortunes,  and 
was  now  brilliant  in  the  appointments  of  the  Prince 
of  Wales'  chosen  body-guard  of  men-at-arms. 

The  councils  of  all  the  great  towns  of  Flanders 
assembled  at  Sluj^s,  and  for  several  days  great  fes- 
tivities were  held.  Then  a  great  assembly  was  held, 
and  Yan  Artevelde  rose  and  addressed  his  country- 
men. He  set  forth  to  them  the  virtues  of  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  whose  courtesy  and  bearing  had 
so  captivated  them ;  he  pointed  out  the  obligations 
which  Flanders  was  under  toward  King  Edward, 
and  the  advantages  which  would  arise  from  a 
nearer  connection  with  England.  With  this  he  con- 
trasted the  weakness  of  their  count,  the  many  ills 
which  his  adherence  to  France  had  brought  upon 
the  country,  and  the  danger  which  menaced  them 
should  his  power  be  ever  renewed.  He  then  boldly 
proposed  to  them  that  they  should  at  once  cast  off 
their  allegiance  to  the  count  and  bestow  the  vacant 
coronet  upon  the  Prince  of  Wales,  who,  as  Duke  of 
Flanders,  would  undertake  the  defense  and  govern- 
ment of  the  country  with  the  aid  of  a  Flemish 
council. 

This  wholly  unexpected  proposition  took  the 
Flemish  burghers  by  surprise.  Artevelde  had  cal- 
culated upon  his  eloquence  and  influence  carrying 
them  away,  but   nis   power   had   diminished,  and 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  201 

many  of  his  hearers  had  already  been  gained  to  the 
cause  of  France.  The  burgher  councils  had  for  a 
long  time  had  absolute  power  in  their  own  towns, 
and  the  prospect  of  a  powerful  prince  at  their  head 
foredoomed  a  curtailment  of  those  powers.  When 
Artevelde  ceased,  therefore,  instead  of  the  enthusi- 
astic shouts  with  which  he  hoped  his  oration  would 
be  greeted,  a  confused  murmur  arose.  At  last 
several  got  up  and  said  that,  greatly  attached  as 
they  were  to  the  king,  much  as  they  admired  the 
noble  young  prince  proposed  for  their  acceptance, 
they  felt  themselves  unable  to  give  an  answer  upon 
an  affair  of  such  moment  without  consulting  their 
fellow-countrymen  and  learning  their  opinions. 
They  therefore  promised  that  they  would  return  on 
a  certain  day  and  give  a  decided  answer. 

The  Flemish  burghers  then  took  their  leave.  Yan 
Artevelde,  after  a  consultation  with  the  king, 
started  at  once  to  use  his  influence  among  the 
various  towns. 

After  leaving  the  king  he  bade  adieu  to  the 
Prince  of  Wales.  "Would  you  like,"  the  young 
prince  said,  "  that  one  of  my  esquires  should  ride 
with  you  ?  His  presence  might  show  the  people 
how  entirely  I  am  with  you  ;  and  should  you  have 
tidings  to  send  me  he  could  ride  hither  with  them. 
I  have  one  with  me  who  is  prudent  and  wise,  and 
who  possesses  all  the  confidence  of  that  wise  and 
valiant  knight.  Sir  Walter  de  Manny." 

"  I  will  gladly  take  him,  your  royal  highness," 
Yan  Artevelde  said,  "  and  hope  to  dispatch  him  to 


202  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

you  very  shortly  with  the  news  that  the  great 
towns  of  Flanders  all  gladly  receive  you  as  their 
lord." 

In  a  few  minutes  Walter  had  mounted  his  horse, 
accompanied  by  Kalph,  and,  joining  Yan  Artevelde, 
rode  to  Bruges.  Here  and  at  Ypres  Yan  Arte- 
velde's  efforts  were  crowned  with  success.  His 
eloquence  carried  away  the  people  with  him,  and 
both  these  cities  agreed  to  accept  the  Prince  of 
Wales  as  their  lord ;  but  the  hardest  task  yet 
remained.  Ghent  was  the  largest  and  most  power- 
ful of  the  Flemish  towns,  and  here  his  enemies  were 
in  the  ascendant.  Gerard  Denis  and  the  weavers 
had  been,  stirring  up  the  people  against  him.  All 
kinds  of  accusations  had  been  spread,  and  he  was 
accused  of  robbing  and  selling  his  country.  The 
news  of  the  hostile  feeling  of  the  population 
reached  Yan  Artevelde,  and  he  dispatched  Walter 
with  the  request  to  the  king  for  a  force  of  five 
hundred  English  soldiers  as  a  guard  against  his 
enemies. 

Had  Artevelde  asked  for  a  large  force  Edward 
would  have  disembarked  his  arm}^  and  marched  at 
their  head  into  Ghent.  As  the  rest  of  the  country 
was  already  won  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  this 
step  would  at  once  have  silenced  all  opposition,  and 
would  have  annexed  Flanders  to  the  British  crown. 
Yan  Artevelde,  however,  believed  himself  to  be 
stronger  than  he  really  was,  and  thought  with  a 
small  party  of  soldiers  he  could  seize  his  principal 
opponents,  and  that  the  people  would  then  rally 
round  him. 


ST.  OBOROE  FOR  ENOLAND.  208 

Upon  the  arrival  of  the  five  hundred  men  he 
started  for  Ghent ;  but  as  he  feared  that  the  gates 
would  be  shut  if  he  presented  himself  with  an  armed 
force,  he  left  the  soldiers  in  concealment  a  short 
distance  from  the  town  and  entered  it,  accompanied 
only  by  his  usual  suit.  At  his  invitation,  however, 
Walter,  followed  of  course  by  Kalph,  rode  beside 
him.  ]^o  sooner  was  he  within  the  gates  than  Yan 
Artevelde  saw  how  strong  was  the  popular  feel- 
ing against  him.  He  had  been  accustomed  to 
be  received  with  bows  of  reverence ;  now  men  turned 
aside  as  he  approached,  or  scowled  at  him  from  their 
doors. 

"Methinks,  sir,"  Walter  said,  "that  it  would  be 
wiser  did  we  ride  back,  and,  joining  the  soldiers, 
etiter  at  their  head,  or  as  that  number  would  be 
scarce  sufficient  should  so  large  a  town  rise  in 
tumult,  to  send  to  King  Edward  for  a  larger  force 
and  await  their  coming.  Even  should  they  shut 
the  gates  we  can  reduce  the  town,  and  as  all  the 
rest  of  Flanders  is  with  you,  surely  a  short  delay 
will  not  matter." 

"  You  know  not  these  Flemings  as  well  as  I  do," 
Yan  Artevelde  replied;  "they  are  surly  dogs,  but 
they  always  listen  to  my  voice,  and  are  ready 
enough  to  do  my  bidding.  When  I  once  speak  to 
them  you  will  see  how  they  will  smooth  their  backs 
and  do  as  I  ask  them." 

Walter  said  no  more,  but  as  he  saw  everywhere 
lowering  brows  from  window  and  doorway  as  they 
rode  through  the  streets,  he  had  doubts  whether  the 


204  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

power  of  Yan  Artevelde's  eloquence  would  have  the 
magical  potency  he  had  expected  from  it. 

When  the  party  arrived  at  the  splendid  dwelling 
of  the  great  demagogue,  messengers  were  instantly 
sent  out  to  all  his  friends  and  retainers.  A  hundred 
and  forty  persons  soon  assembled,  and  while  Yan 
Artevelde  was  debating  with  them  as  to  the  best 
steps  to  be  taken,  Walter  opened  the  casement  and 
looked  out  into  the  street.  It  was  already  crowded 
with  the  people,  whose  silent  and  quiet  demeanor 
seemed  to  bode  no  good.  Arms  were  freely  dis- 
played among  them,  and  Walter  saw  men  passing 
to  and  fro  evidently  giving  instructions. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  disturb  you.  Master  Artevelde," 
he  said,  returning  to  the  room  where  the  council 
was  being  held,  '^but  methinks  that  it  would  be 
wise  to  bar  the  doors  and  windows,  and  to  put  your- 
self in  a  posture  of  defense,  for  a  great  crowd  is 
gathering  without,  for  the  most  part  armed,  and  as 
it  seems  to  me  with  evil  intentions.'* 

A  glance  from  the  windows  confirmed  Walter's 
statements,  and  the  doors  and  windows  were 
speedily  barricaded.  Before  many  minutes  had 
elapsed  the  tolling  of  bells  in  all  parts  of  the  town 
was  heard,  and  down  the  different  streets  leading 
toward  the  building  large  bodies  of  armed  men  were 
seen  making  their  way. 

"  I  had  rather  have  to  do  with  a  whole  French 
army,  Master  Walter,"  Kalph  said,  as  he  stood  be- 
side him  at  an  upper  window  looking  down  upon 
the  crowd,  "  than   with  these  citizens  of   Ghent. 


ST.  OEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  205 

Look  at  those  men  with  bloody  axes  and  stained 
clothes.  Doubtless  those  are  the  skinners  and 
butchers.  Didst  ever  see  such  a  ferocious  band  of 
savages?  Listen  to  their  shouts.  Death  to  Yan 
Artevelde !  Down  with  the  English  alliance  !  I 
thought  our  case  was  a  bad  one  when  the  French 
poured  over  the  walls  into  Yannes,  but  methinks  it 
is  a  hundred  times  worse  now." 

"  We  got  out  of  that  scrape,  Ralph,  and  I  hope  we 
shall  get  out  of  this,  but  as  you  say  the  prospect  is 
black  enough.  See,  the  butchers  are  hammering  at 
the  door  with  their  pole-axes.  Let  us  go  down  and 
aid  in  the  defense." 

"  I  am  ready,"  Ralph  said,  "  but  I  shall  fight  with 
a  lighter  heart  if  you  could  fix  upon  some  plan  for 
us  to  adopt  when  the  rabble  break  in.  That  they 
will  do  so  I  regard  as  certain,  seeing  that  the  house 
is  not  built  for  purposes  of  defense,  but  has  numer- 
ous broad  windows  on  the  ground-floor  by  which 
assuredly  they  will  burst  their  way  in." 

"•  Wait  a  moment  then,  Ralph  ;  let  us  run  up  to 
the  top  story  and  see  if  there  be  any  means  of 
escape  along  the  roofs." 

The  house  stood  detached  from  the  others,  but  on 
one  side  was  separated  from  that  next  to  it  only  by 
a  narrow  lane,  and  as  the  upper  stories  projected 
beyond  those  below,  the  windows  were  but  six  feet 
distant  from  those  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  way. 

"  See,"  Walter  said,  "  there  is  a  casement  in  the 
room  to  our  left  there  which  is  open ;  let  us  see  if 
it  is  tenanted." 


^06  ST.  OBOmE  mn  ENGLAND. 

Going  into  the  next  room  they  went  to  the  win- 
dow and  opened  it.  It  exactly  faced  the  casement 
opposite,  and  so  far  as  they  could  see  the  room  was 
unoccupied. 

"  It  were  easy  to  put  a  plank  across,"  Ralph 
said. 

"  We  must  not  do  that,"  Walter  answered.  "  The 
mob  are  thick  in  the  lane  below — what  a  roar  comes 
up  from  their  voices ! — and  a  plank  would  be  surely 
seen,  and  we  should  be  killed  there  as  well  as  here. 
]^o,  we  must  get  on  to  the  sill  and  spring  across ; 
the  distance  is  not  great,  and  the  jump  would  be 
nothing  were  it  not  that  the  casements  are  so  low. 
It  must  be  done  as  lightly  and  quickly  as  possible, 
and  we  may  not  then  be  seen  from  below.  Now 
leave  the  door  open  that  we  may  make  no  mistake 
as  to  the  room,  and  come  along,  for  by  the  sound 
the  fight  is  hot  below." 

Eunning  down  the  stairs  Walter  and  Ealph  joined 
in  the  defense.  Those  in  the  house  knew  that  they 
would  meet  with  no  mercy  from  the  infuriated 
crowd,  and  each  fought  with  the  bravery  of  de- 
spair. Although  there  were  many  windows  to  be 
defended,  and  at  each  the  mob  attacked  desperate- 
ly, the  assaults  were  all  repulsed.  Many  indeed  of 
the  defenders  were  struck  down  by  the  pikes  and 
pole-axes,  but  for  a  time  they  beat  back  the  as- 
sailants whenever  they  attempted  to  enter. 

The  noise  was  prodigious.  The  alarm-bells  of  the 
town  were  all  ringing  and  the  shouts  of  the  combat- 
ants were  drowned  m  the  hoarse  roar  of  the  surg- 
ing crowd  without. 


JST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  207 

Seeing  that  however  valiant  was  the  defense  the 
assailants  must  in  the  end  prevail,  and  feeling  sure 
that  his  enemies  would  have  closed  the  city  gates 
and  thus  prevented  the  English  without  from  com- 
ing to  his  assistance,  Yan  Artevelde  ascended  to  an 
upper  story  and  attempted  to  address  the  crowd. 
His  voice  was  drowned  in  the  roar.  In  vain  he 
gesticulated  and  made  motions  imploring  them  to 
hear  him,  but  all  was  useless,  and  the  courage  of 
the  demagogue  deserted  him  and  he  burst  into  tears 
at  the  prospect  of  death.  Then  he  determined  to 
tr}'^  and  make  his  escape  to  the  sanctuary  of  a 
church  close  by,  and  was  descending  the  stairs  when 
a  mighty  crash  below,  the  clashing  of  steel,  shouts, 
and  cries,  told  that  the  mob  had  swept  away  one  of 
the  barricades  and  were  pouring  into  the  house. 

"  Make  for  the  stairs,"  Walters  houted,  "  and  de- 
fend yourselves  there."  But  the  majority  of  the 
defenders,  bewildered  by  the  inrush  of  the  enemy, 
terrified  at  their  ferocious  aspect  and  terrible  axes, 
had  no  thought  of  continuing  the  resistance.  A 
few,  getting  into  corners,  resisted  desperately  to  the 
end ;  others  threw  down  their  arms  and  dropping 
on  their  knees  cried  for  mercy,  but  all  were 
ruthlessly  slaughtered. 

Keeping  close  together  Walter  and  Ealph  fought 
their  way  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  and  closely 
pursued  b}^  a  band  of  the  skinners  headed  by 
Gerard  Denis,  ran  up. 

Upon  the  first  landing  stood  a  man  paralyzed 
with  terror.     On  seeing  him  a  cry  of  ferocious 


208  'Sr.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

triumph  rose  from  the  mob.  As  nothing  could  be 
done  to  aid  him  Walter  and  his  follower  rushed  by 
without  stopping.  There  was  a  pause  in  the  pur- 
suit, and  glancing  down  from  the  upper  gallery 
Walter  saw  Yan  Artevelde  in  the  hands  of  the  mob, 
each  struggling  to  take  possession  of  him ;  then  a 
man  armed  with  a  great  ax  pushed  his  way  among 
them,  and  swinging  dt  over  his  head  struck  Yan 
Artevelde  dead  to  the  floor.  His  slayer  was  Gerard 
Denis  himself. 

Followed  by  Ralph,  Walter  sprang  through  the 
open  door  into  the  chamber  they  had  marked,  and 
closed  the  door  behind  them.  Then  Walter,  say- 
ing, "  I  will  go  first,  Ralph;  I  can  help  you  in  should 
you  miss  your  spring,"  mounted  on  the  sill  of  the 
casement. 

Short  as  was  the  distance  the  leap  was  extremely 
difficult,  for  neither  casement  was  more  than  three 
feet  high.  Walter  was  therefore  obliged  to  stoop 
low  and  to  hurl  himself  head  forward  across  the 
gulf.  He  succeeded  in  the  attempt,  shooting  clear 
through  the  casement  on  to  the  floor  beyond.  In- 
stantly he  picked  himself  up  and  went  to  Ralph's 
assistance.  The  latter,  taller  and  more  bulky,  had 
greater  difficulty  in  the  task,  and  only  his  shoulders 
arrived  through  the  window.  Walter  seized  him, 
and  aided  him  at  once  to  scramble  in,  and  they 
closed  the  casement  behind  them. 

"  It  was  well  we  took  off  our  armor,  Ralph  ,•  its 
pattern  would  have  been  recognized  in  an  instant." 

Walter  had  thrown  off  his  helmet  as  he  bounded 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  209 

up  the   stairs,  and  both  he  and  his  companion  had 
rid  themselves  of  their  heavy  armor. 

"  I  would  give  a  good  deal,"  he  said,  "  for  two 
bourgeois  jerkins,  even  were  they  as  foul  as  those 
of  the  skinners.  This  is  a  woman's  apartment,"  he 
added,  looking  round,  "  and  nothing  here  will  cover 
my  six  feet  of  height,  to  say  nothing  of  your  four 
inches  extra.  Let  us  peep  into  some  of  the  other 
rooms.  This  is,  doubtless,  the  house  of  some  person 
of  importance,  and  in  the  upper  floor  we  may  find 
some  clothes  of  servants  or  retainers." 

They  were  not  long  in  their  search.  The  next 
room  was  a  large  one,  and  contained  a  number  of 
pallet  beds,  and'  hanging  from  pegs  on  the  walls 
were  jerkins,  mantles,  and  other  garments,  evidently 
belonging  to  the  retainers  of  the  house.  Walter 
and  Kalph  were  not  long  in  transmogrifying  their 
appearance,  and  had  soon  the  air  of  two  respectable 
serving-men  in  a  Flemish  household. 

"But  how  are  we  to  descend?"  Kalph  asked. 
"  We  can  hardly  hope  to  walk  down  the  stairs  and 
make,  our  escape  without  being  seen,  especially  as 
the  doors  will  all  be  barred  and  bolted,  seeing  the 
tumult  which  is  raging  outside." 

"  It  all  depends  whether  our  means  of  escape  are 
suspected,"  Walter  replied.  "  I  should  scarce  think 
that  they  would  be.  The  attention  of  our  pursuers 
was  wholly  taken  up  by  Yan  Artevelde,  and  some 
minutes  must  have  passed  before  they  followed  us. 
:N'o  doubt  they  will  search  every  place  in  the  house, 
and  all  within 4t  will  by  this  time  have  been  slaugh- 


210  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

tered.  But  they  will  scarce  organize  any  special 
search  for  us.  All  will  be  fully  occupied  with  the 
exciting  events  which  have  taken  place,  and  as  the 
casement  by  which  we  entered  is  closed  it  is  scarcely 
likely  to  occur  to  any  one  that  we  have  escaped  by 
that  means.  I  will  listen  first  if  the  house  is  quiet. 
If  so,  we  will  descend  and  take  refuge  in  some  room 
below,  where  there  is  a  better  chance  of  conceal- 
ment than  here.  Put  the  pieces  of  armor  into  that 
closet  so  that  they  may  not  catch  the  eye  of  any 
who  may  happen  to  come  hither.  The  day  is  al- 
ready closing.  In  half  an  hour  it  will  be  nightfall. 
Then  we  will  try  and  make  our  way  out." 

Listening  at  the  top  of  the  stairs  they  could  hear 
voices  below;  but  as  the  gallery  was  quiet  and 
deserted  they  made  their  way  a  floor  lower,  and 
seeing  an  open  door  entered  it.  Walter  looked 
from  the  window. 

"There  is  a  back  yard  below,"  he  said,  "with  a 
door  opening  upon  a  narrow  lane.  We  are  now 
upon  the  second  story,  and  but  some  twenty-five 
feet  above  the  ground.  We  will  not  risk  going  down 
through  the  house,  which  could  scarce  be  accom- 
plished without  detection,  but  will  at  once  tear  up 
into  strips  the  coverings  of  the  bed,  and  will  make 
a  rope  by  which  we  may  slip  down  into  the  court- 
yard as  soon  as  it  is  dark.  We  must  hope  that  none 
will  come  up  before  that  time  ;  but,  indeed,  all  will 
be  so  full  of  the  news  of  the  events  which  have  hap- 
pened that  it  is  scarce  likely  that  any  will  come 
above  at  present." 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  211 

The  linen  sheets  and  coverings  were  soon  cut  up 
and  knotted  together  in  a  rope.  By  the  time  that 
this  was  finished  the  darkness  was  closing  in,  and 
after  waiting  patiently  for  a  few  minutes  they 
lowered  the  rope  and  slid  down  into  the  yard. 
Quietly  they  undid  the  bolts  of  the  gate  and  issued 
into  the  lane.  The  mantles  were  provided  with 
hoods,  as  few  of  the  lower  class  of  Flemings  wore 
any  other  head-covering. 

Drawing  these  hoods  well  over  their  heads  so  as 
to  shade  their  faces,  the  two  sallied  out  from  the 
lane.  They  were  soon  in  one  of  the  principal 
streets,  which  was  crowded  with  people.  Bands  of 
weavers,  butchers,  skinners,  and  others  were 
parading  the  streets  shouting  and  singing  in  honor 
of  their  victory  and  of  the  downfall  and  death  of 
him  whom  they  had  but  a  few  days  before  regard- 
ed as  the  mainstay  of  Flanders.  Many  of  the  better 
class  of  burghers  stood  in  groups  in  the  streets  and 
talked  in  low  and  rather  frightened  voices  of  the 
consequences  which  the  deed  of  blood  would  bring 
upon  the  city.  On  the  one  hand,  Edward  might 
march  upon  it  with  his  army  to  avenge  the  murder 
of  his  ally.  Upon  the  other  hand,  they  were  now 
committed  to  France.  Their  former  ruler  would 
return,  and  all  the  imposts  and  burdens  against 
which  they  had  rebelled  would  again  be  laid  upon 
the  city. 

"  What  shall  we  do  now  V^  Ralph  asked,  "  for 
assuredly  there  will  be  no  issue  by  the  gates." 

*'  We  must  possess  ourselves  of  a  length  of  rope, 


212  ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

if  possible,  and  make  our  escape  over  the  wall. 
How  to  get  one  I  know  not,  for  the  shops  are  all 
closed,  and  even  were  it  not  so  I  could  not  venture 
in  to  purchase  any,  for  my  speech  would  betray  us 
at  once.  Let  us  separate,  and  each  see  whether  he 
can  find  what  we  want.  We  will  meet  again  at 
the  entrance  to  this  church  in  an  hour's  time.  One 
or  the  other  of  us  may  find  what  we  seek." 

Walter  searched  in  vain.  Wherever  he  saw  the 
door  of  a  yard  open  he  peered  in,  but  in  no  case 
could  he  see  any  signs  of  rope.  At  the  end  of  the 
hour  he  returned  to  their  rendezvous.  Ealph  was 
already  there. 

"  I  have  found  nothing,  Ealph.  Have  you  had 
better  fortune  ?" 

"  That  have  I,  Master  Walter,  and  was  back  nigh 
an  hour  since.  Scarce  had  I  left  you  when  in  a 
back  street  I  came  upon  a  quiet  hostelry,  and  in  the 
court-yard  were  standing  half  a  dozen  teams  of 
cattle.  Doubtless  their  owners  had  brought  hay  or 
corn  into  the  city,  and  when  the  tumult  arose  and 
the  gates  were  closed  found  themselves  unable  to 
escape.  The  masters  were  all  drinking  within,  so 
without  more  ado  I  cut  off  the  ropes  which  served 
as  traces  for  the  oxen,  and  have  them  wound  round 
my  body  under  my  mantle.  There  must  be  twenty 
yards  at  least,  and  as  each  rope  is  strong  enough  to 
hold  double  our  weight  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in 
lowering  ourselves  from  the  walls." 

"You  have  done  well  indeed,  Ealph,"  Walter 


ST.  QEOROE  FOB  ENGLAND.  213 

said.  "Let  us  make  our  way  thither  at  once. 
Every  one  is  so  excited  in  the  city  that,  as  yet,  there 
will  be  but  few  guards  upon  the  wall.  The  sooner, 
therefore,  that  we  attempt  to  make  our  escape  the 
better." 


214  ST.  OEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTEK  XIII. 

THE     WHITE     FORD. 

They  made  their  way  without  interruption  to  the 
wall.  This  they  found,  as  they  expected,  entirely 
deserted,  although,  no  doubt,  guards  had  been 
posted  at  the  gates.  The  Flemings,  however,  could 
have  felt  no  fear  of  an  attack  by  so  small  a  force  as 
the  five  hundred  English  whom  they  knew  to  be  in 
the  neighborhood. 

Walter  and  his  companion  soon  knotted  the  ropes 
together  and  lowered  themselves  into  the  moat.  A 
few  strokes  took  them  to  the  other  side,  and  scram- 
bling out,  they  made  their  way  across  the  country 
to  the  spot  where  the  English  had  been  posted. 
They  found  the  Earl  of  Salisbury,  who  commanded, 
in  a  great  state  of  uneasiness.  No  message  had 
reached  him  during  the  day.  He  had  heard  the 
alarm-bells  of  the  city  ring,  and  a  scout  who  had 
gone  forward  returned  with  the  news  that  the  gates 
were  closed  and  the  drawbridges  raised,  and  that  a 
strong  body  of  men  manned  the  walls. 

"  Your  news  is  indeed  bad,"  he  said,  when  Walter 
related  to  him  the  events  which  had  taken  place  in 
the  town.  "  This  will  altogether  derange  the  king's 
plans.     Now  that  his  ally  is  killed,  I  fear  that  his 


ST.  GBOUGE  FOn  BNOLAKI).  215 

hopes  of  acquiring  Flanders  for  England  will  fall  to 
the  ground.  It  is  a  thousand  pities  that  he  listened 
to  Yan  Altevelde  and  allowed  him  to  enter  Ghent 
alone.  Had  his  majesty  landed,  as  he  wished,  and 
made  a  progress  through  the  country,  the  prince 
receiving  the  homage  of  all  the  large  towns,  we 
could  then  very  well  have  summoned  Ghent  as 
standing  alone  against  all  Flanders.  The  citizens 
then  would,  no  doubt,  have  gladly  opened  their 
gates  and  received  the  prince,  and  if  they  had  re- 
fused we  would  have  made  short  work  of  them. 
However,  as  it  has  turned  out,  it  is  as  well  that  we 
did  not  enter  the  town  with  the  Fleming,  for  against 
so  large  and  turbulent  a  population  we  should  have 
had  but  little  chance.  And  now,  Master  Somers, 
we  will  march  at  once  for  Sluys  and  bear  the  news 
to  the  king,  and  you  shall  tell  me  as  we  ride  thither 
how  you  and  your  man-at-arms  managed  to  escape 
with  whole  skins  from  such  a  tumult." 

The  king  was  much  grieved  when  he  heard  of  the 
death  of  Artevelde,  and  held  a  council  with  his  chief 
leaders.  At  first,  in  his  indignation  and  grief,  he 
was  disposed  to  march  upon  Ghent  and  to  take  venge- 
ance for  the  murder  of  his  ally,  but  after  a  time 
calmer  counsels  prevailed. 

The  Flemings  were  still  in  rebellion  against  their 
count,  w'ho  was  the  friend  of  France.  Were  the 
English  to  attack  Ghent  they  would  lose  the  general 
good-will  of  the  Flemings,  and  \jould  drive  them 
into  the  arms  of  France,  while,  if  matters  were  left 
alone,  the  effect  of  the  popular  outburst  which  had 


216  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

caused  the  death  of  Artevelde  would  die  away,  and 
motives  of  interest  and  the  fear  of  France  would 
again  drive  them  into  the  arms  of  England.  The 
expedition  therefore  returned  to  England,  and  there 
the  king,  in  a  proclamation  to  his  people,  avoided 
all  allusion  to  the  death  of  his  ally,  but  simply 
stated  that  he  had  been  waited  upon  by  the  coun- 
cils of  all  the  Flemish  towns,  and  that  their  faithful 
obedience  to  himself,  as  legitimate  King  of  France, 
was  established  upon  a  firmer  basis  than  ever. 

This  course  had  the  effect  which  he  had  antici- 
pated from  it.  The  people  of  Flanders  perceived 
the  danger  and  disadvantage  which  must  accrue  to 
their  trade  from  any  permanent  disagreement  with 
England.  They  were  convinced  by  the  events 
which  soon  afterward  happened  in  France  that 
the  King  of  England  had  more  power  than  Philip 
of  Yalois,  and  could,  if  he  chose,  punish  severely 
any  breach  of  faith  toward  him.  They  therefore 
sent  over  commissioners  to  express  their  grief  and 
submission.  The  death  of  Artevelde  was  repre- 
sented as  the  act  of  a  frantic  mob,  and  severe  fines 
were  imposed  upon  the  leaders  of  the  party  who 
slew  him,  and  although  the  principal  towns  ex- 
pressed their  desire  still  to  remain  under  the  rule 
of  the  Count  of  Flanders,  they  suggested  that  the 
ties  which  bound  them  to  England  should  be 
strengthened  by  the  marriage  of  Louis,  eldest  son 
of  the  count,  to  one  of  Edward's  daughters.  More 
than  this,  they  offered  to  create  a  diversion  for  the 
English  forces  acting  in  Guienne  and  Gascony  by 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  217 

raising  a  strong  force  and  expelling  the  French 
garrisons  still  remaining  in  some  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. This  was  clone.  Hugo  of  Hastings  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  king  captain-general  in  Flanders, 
and  with  a  force  of  English  and  Flemings  did  good 
service  b}^  expelling  the  French  from  Termond  and 
several  other  towns. 

The  character  of  Jacob  van  Artevelde  has  had 
but  scant  justice  done  to  it  by  most  of  the  historians 
of  the  time.  These,  living  in  an  age  of  chivalry, 
when  noble  blood  and  lofty  deeds  were  held  in  ex- 
traordinary respect,  had  little  sympathy  with  the 
brewer  of  Ghent,  and  deemed  it  contrary  to  the  fit- 
ness of  things  that  the  chivalry  of  France  should 
have  been  defied  and  worsted  by  mere  mechanics 
and  artisans.  But  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
Artevelde  was  a  very  great  man.  He  may  have 
been  personally  ambitious,  but  he  was  a  true 
patriot.  He  had  great  military  talents.  He  com- 
pletely remodeled  and  wonderfully  improved  the 
internal  administration  of  the  country,  and  raised 
its  commerce,  manufactures,  and  agriculture  to  a 
pitch  which  they  had  never  before  reached.  After 
his  death  his  memory  was  esteemed  and  revered  by 
the  Flemings,  who  long  submitted  to  the  laws  he 
had  made,  and  preserved  his  regulations  with  scru- 
pulous exactitude. 

Edward  now  hastened  to  get  together  a  great 
army.  Every  means  were  adopted  to  raise  money 
and  to  gather  stores,  and  every  man  between  six- 
teen and  sixty  south  of  the  Trent  was  called  upon 


218  ST.  QEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

to  take  up  arms  and  commanded  to  assemble  at 
Portsmouth  in  the  middle  of  Lent.  A  tremendous 
tempest,  however,  scattered  the  fleet  collected  to 
carry  the  expedition,  a  great  man}^  of  the  ships 
were  lost,  and  it  was  not  until  the  middle  of  July, 
1346,  that  it  sailed  from  England.  It  consisted  of 
about  five  hundred  ships  and  ten  thousand  sailors, 
and  carried  four  thousand  men-at-arms,  ten  thou- 
sand archers,  twelve  thousand  Welsh,  and  six  thou- 
sand Irish. 

This  seems  but  a  small  army  considering  the 
efforts  which  had  been  made ;  but  it  was  necessary 
to  leave  a  considerable  force  behind  for  the  defense 
of  the  Scottish  frontier,  and  England  had  already 
armies  in  Guienne  and  Brittany.  Lionel,  Edward's 
second  son,  was  appointed  regent  during  his  father's 
absence.  On  board  Edward's  own  ship  were  God- 
frey of  Harcourt  and  the  Prince  of  Wales.  Walter, 
as  one  of  the  personal  squires  of  the  prince,  was 
also  on  board. 

The  prince  had  been  greatly  interested  in  the  de- 
tails of  Walter's  escape  from  Yan  Artevelde's  house, 
the  king  himself  expressed  his  approval  of  his 
conduct,  and  Walter  was  generally  regarded  as  one 
of  the  most  promising  young  aspirants  at  the  court. 
His  modesty  and  good  temper  rendered  him  a 
general  favorite,  and  many  even  of  the  higher 
nobles  noticed  him  by  their  friendly  attentions,  for 
it  was  felt  that  he  stood  so  high  in  the  good-will  of 
the  prince  that  he  might  some  day  become  a  person 
of  great  influence  with  him,  and  one  whose  good- 
will would  be  valuable. 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  219 

It  was  generally  supposed,  when  the  fleet  started, 
that  Guienne  was  their  destination,  but  they  had 
not  gone  far  when  a  signal  was  made  to  change  the 
direction  in  which  they  were  sailing  and  to  make 
for  La  IJogue  in  Normandy.  Godfrey  of  Harcourt 
had  great  influence  in  that  province,  and  his  per- 
suasions had  much  effect  in  determining  the  king 
to  direct  his  course  thither.  There  was  the  further 
advantage  that  the  King  of  France,  who  was  well 
aware  of  the  coming  invasion,  would  have  made  his 
preparations  to  receive  him  in  Guienne.  Further- 
more, ISTormandy  was  the  richest  and  most  prosper- 
ous province  in  France.  It  had  for  a  long  time 
been  untouched  by  war,  and  offered  great  abun- 
dance of  spoil.  It  had  made  itself  particularly  ob- 
noxious to  the  English  by  having  recently  made  an 
offer  to  the  King  of  France  to  fit  out  an  expedition 
and  conquer  England  with  its  own  resources. 

The  voyage  was  short  and  favorable,  and  the  ex- 
pedition landed  at  La  Hogue,  on  the  small  peninsula 
of  Cotentin,  without  opposition.  Six  days  were 
spent  at  La  Hogue  disembarking  the  men,  horses, 
and  stores,  and  baking  bread  for  the  use  of  the 
army  on  the  march.  A  detachment  advanced  and 
pillaged  and  burned  Barfleur  and  Cherbourg  and  a 
number  of  small  towns  and  castles. 

In  accordance  with  custom,  at  the  commencement 
of  the  campaign  a  court  was  held,  at  which  the 
Prince  of  Wales  was  dubbed  a  knight  by  his  father. 
A  similar  honor  was  bestowed  upon  a  number  of 
other  young  aspirants,  among  whom  was  Walter 


220  ST.  QEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

Somers,  who   had   been   highly   recommended  for 
that  honor  to  the  king  by  Sir  Walter  Manny. 

The  force  was  now  formed  into  three  divisions 
—the  one  commanded  by  the  king  himself,  the  sec- 
ond by  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  and  the  third  by  God- 
frey of  Harcourt.  The  Earl  of  Arundel  acted  as 
lord  high  constable,  and  the  Earl  of  Huntingdon, 
w^ho  was  in  command  of  the  fleet,  followed  the 
array  along  the  seacoast.  Yalognes,  Carentan,  and 
St.  Lo  were  captured  without  difficulty,  and  the 
English  army  advanced  by  rapid  marches  upon 
Caen,  plundering  the  country  for  six  or  seven 
leagues  on  each  side  of  the  line  of  march.  An  im- 
mense quantity  of  booty  was  obtained. 

As  soon  as  the  news  of  Edward's  landing  in  Nor- 
mandy reached  Paris,  Philip  dispatched  the  Count 
d-Eu,*^  Constable  of  France,  with  the  Count  of 
Tankerville  and  six  hundred  men-at-arms,  to  oppose 
Edward  at  Caen.  The  Bishop  of  Bayeux  had 
thrown  himself  into  that  city,  which  was  already 
garrisoned  by  three  hundred  Genoese.  The  town 
was  not  defensible,  and  the  only  chance  of  resist- 
ance was  by  opposing  the  passage  of  the  river  Horn, 
which  flowed  between  the  suburbs  and  the  city. 
The  bridge  was  barricaded,  strong  wooden  towers 
were  erected,  and  such  was  the  confidence  of  the 
inhabitants  and  their  leaders  that  Edward's  promise 
of  protection  for  the  person  and  property  of  the 
citizens  w^as  rejected  with  scorn,  and  the  whole 
male  population  joined  the  garrison  in  the  defense 
of  the  bridge.     Marching  through    the    deserted 


ST.  OEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND.  221 

suburbs  the  English  army  attacked  the  bridge  with 
such  vehemence  that  although  the  enemy  defended 
the  barricades  gallantly  they  were  speedily  forced, 
and  the  English  poured  into  the  town.  Before  the 
first  fury  of  the  attack  was  over  near  five  thousand 
persons  were  slain.  The  Count  of  Tankerville,  one 
hundred  and  forty  knights,  and  as  many  squires  were 
made  prisoners.  The  plunder  was  so  enormous  as 
to  be  sufficient  to  cover  the  whole  expenses  of  the 
expedition,  and  this  with  the  booty  which  had  been 
previously  acquired  was  placed  on  board  ship  and 
dispatched  to  England,  while  the  king  marched  for- 
ward with  his  army.  At  Lisieux  he  was  met  by 
two  cardinals  sent  by  the  pope  to  negotiate  a 
truce ;  but  Edward  had  learned  the  fallacy  of  truces 
made  with  King  Philip,  and  declined  to  enter  into 
negotiations.  Finding  that  Eouen  had  been  placed 
in  a  state  of  defense  and  could  not  be  taken  without 
a  long  siege,  he  left  it  behind  him  and  marched 
along  the  valley  of  the  Eure,  gathering  rich  booty 
at  ev^ry  step. 

But  while  he  was  marching  forward  a  great  army 
was  gathering  in  his  rear.  The  Count  of  Har- 
court,  brother  of  Godfrey,  called  all  Normandy  to 
arms.  Every  feudal  lord  and  vassal  answered  to 
the  summons,  and  before  Edward  reached  the  banks 
of  the  Seine  a  formidable  army  had  assembled. 

The  whole  of  the  vassals  of  France  were  gather- 
ing by  the  orders  of  the  king  at  St.  Denis.  The 
English  fleet  had  now  left  the  coast,  and  Edward 
had  only  tha   choice  of  retreating  through   ISTor- 


222  ^T,  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND, 

mandy  into  Brittany  or  of  attempting  to  force  the 
passage  of  the  Seine,  and  to  fight  his  way  through 
France  to  Flanders.  He  chose  the  latter  alterna- 
tive, and  marched  along  the  left  bank  of  the  river 
toward  Paris,  seeking  in  vain  to  find  a  passage. 
The  enemy  followed  him  step  by  step  on  the 
opposite  bank,  and  all  the  bridges  were  broken 
down  and  the  fords  destroyed. 

Edward  marched  on,  burning  the  towns  and  rav- 
aging the  country  until  he  reached  Poissy.  The 
bridge  was  as  usual  destroyed,  but  the  piles  on 
which  it  stood  were  still  standing,  and  he  deter- 
mined to  endeavor  to  cross  here.  He  accordingly 
halted  for  five  days,  but  dispatched  troops  in  all 
directions,  who  burned  and  ravaged  to  the  very  gates 
of  Paris.  The  villages  of  St.  Germain,  St.  Cloud, 
Bourg  la  Peine,  and  many  others  within  sight  of 
the  walls  were  destroyed,  and  the  capital  itself 
thrown  into  a  state  of  terror  and  consternation. 
Godfrey  of  Harcourt  was  the  first  to  cross  the 
river,  and  with  the  advance-guard  of  English  fell 
upon  a  large  body  of  the  burghers  of  Amiens,  and 
after  a  severe  fight  defeated  them,  killing  over  five 
hundred.  The  king  himself  with  his  whole  force 
passed  on  the  16th  of  August. 

Philip,  with  his  army,  quitted  St.  Denis  when 
he  heard  that  the  English  army  had  passed  the 
Seine,  and  by  parallel  marches  endeavored  to  inter- 
pose between  it  and  the  borders  of  Flanders.  As 
his  force  was  every  hour  increasing  he  dispatched 
messengers  to  Edward  offering  him  battle  within  a 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  223 

few  days  on  condition  that  he  would  cease  to  ravage 
the  country;  but  Edward  declined  the  proposal, 
saying  that  Philip  himself  by  breaking  down  the 
bridges  had  avoided  a  battle  as  long  as  he  couldj 
but  that  whenever  he  was  ready  to  give  battle  he 
would  accept  the  challenge.  During  the  whole 
march  the  armies  Avere  within  a  few  leagues  of  each 
other,  and  constant  skirmishes  took  place  between 
bodies  detached  from  the  hosts 

In  some  of  these  skirmishes  Walter  took  part, 
as  he  and  the  other  newly  made  knights  were  burn- 
ing to  distinguish  themselves.  Every  day  the 
progress  of  the  array  became  more  difficult,  as  the 
country  people  everj^vhere  rose  against  them,  and 
several  times  attempted  to  make  a  stand,  but  were 
defeated  with  great  loss.  The  principal  towns 
were  found,  deserted,  and  even  Poix,  which  offered 
great  capabilities  of  defense,  had  been  left  un- 
guarded. Upon  the  English  entering,  the  burghers 
offered  to  pay  a  large  ransom  to  save  the  town  from 
plunder.  The  money  was  to  be  delivered  as  soon 
as  the  Enghsh  force  had  withdrawn,  and  Walter 
Somers  was  ordered  by  the  king  to  remain  behind 
with  a  few  men-at-arms  to  receive  the  ransom. 

1^0  sooner  had  the  army  departed  than  the 
burghers,  knowing  that  the  French  army  was  close 
behind,  changed  their  minds,  refused  to  pay  the 
ransom,  and  fell  upon  the  little  body  of  men-at- 
arms.  Although  taken  quite  by  surprise  by  this 
act  of  treachery  Walter  instantly  rallied  his  men, 
although  several  had  been  killed  at  the  first  on- 


224  >Sr.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

slaught.  He,  with  Ealph  and  two  or  three  of  the 
stanchest  men,  covered  the  retreat  of  the  rest 
through  the  streets,  making  desperate  charges  upon 
the  body  of  armed  burghers  pressing  upon  them. 
Kalph  fought  as  usual  with  a  mace  of  prodigious 
weight,  and  the  terror  of  his  blows  in  no  slight 
degree  enabled  the  party  to  reach  the  gate  in 
safety,  but  Walter  had  no  idea  of  retreating  further. 
He  dispatched  one  of  his  followers  to  gallop  at  full 
speed  to  overtake  the  rear-guard  of  the  army, 
which  was  still  but  two  miles  distant,  while  with 
the  rest  he  formed  a  line  across  the  gate  and  resisted 
all  the  attempts  of  the  citizens  to  expel  them. 

The  approach  to  the  gate  was  narrow^  and  the 
overwhelming  number  of  the  burghers  were  there- 
fore of  little  avail.  Walter  had  dismounted  his 
force  and  all  fought  on  foot,  and  although  sorely 
pressed  they  held  their  ground  until  Lords  Cobham 
and  Holland,  with  their  followers,  rode  up.  Then 
the  tide  of  war  was  turned,  the  town  was  plundered 
and  burned,  and  great  numbers  of  the  inhabitants 
slain.  Walter  gained  great  credit  for  holding  the 
gate,  for  had  he  been  driven  out,  the  town  could 
have  resisted,  until  the  arrival  of  Louis,  all  assaults 
of  the  English. 

The  river  Somme  now  barred  the  passage  of 
Edward.  Most  of  the  bridges  had  been  destroyed, 
and  those  remaining  were  so  strongly  fortified  that 
th'ey  could  not  be  forced. 

The  position  of  the  English  was  now  very  criticaL 
On  one  flank  and  in  front  were  impassable  rivers. 


ST.  GEORGE  FOE  ENGLAND  225 

The  whole  country  was  in  arms  against  them,  and 
on  their  rear  and  flank  pressed  a  hostile  army  four- 
fold their  strength.  The  country  was  swampy  and 
thinly  populated,  and  flour  and  provisions  were  only 
obtained  with  great  difficulty.  Edward,  on  finding 
from  the  reports  of  his  marshals  who  had  been  sent 
to  examine  the  bridges,  that  no  passage  across  the 
river  could  be  found,  turned  and  marched  down  the 
river  tow«*,rd  the  sea,  halting  for  the  night  at  Oise- 
mont. 

Here,  a  great  number  of  peasantry  attempted  a 
defense,  but  were  easily  defeated  and  a  number  of 
prisoners  taken.  Late  in  the  evening  the  Earl  of 
"Warwick,  who  had  pushed  forward  as  far  as  Abbe- 
ville and  St.  Yalery,  returned  with  the  news  that 
the  passages  at  those  places  were  as  strongly 
guarded  as  elsewhere,  but  that  he  had  learned  from 
a  peasant  that  a  ford  existed,  somewhere  below 
Abbeville,  although  the  man  was  himself  ignorant 
of  its  position. 

Edward  at  once  called  the  prisoners  belonging  to 
that  part  of  the  country  before  him,  and  promised 
to  any  one  who  would  tell  him  where  the  ford  lay 
his  freedom  and  that  of  twenty  of  his  companions. 
A  peasant  called  Gobin  Agase  stepped  forward  and 
offered  to  show  the  ford,  where  at  low  tide  twelve 
men  could  cross  abreast.  It  was,  he  said,  called 
La  Blanche  Tache. 

Edward  left  Oisemont  at  midnight  and  reached 
the  ford  at  daylight.  The  river,  however,  was  full 
and  the  army  had  to  wait  impatiently  for  low  tide. 


226  ^T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

When  they  arrived  there  no  enemy  was  to  be  seen 
on  the  opposite  bank,  but  before  the  water  fell 
sufficiently  for  a  passage  to  be  attempted,  Sir 
Godemar  du  Fay  with  twelve  thousand  men,  sent 
by  King  Philip,  who  was  aware  of  the  existence  of 
the  ford,  arrived  on  the  opposite  side. 

The  enterprise  was  a  difficult  one  indeed,  for  the 
water,  even  at  low  tide,  is  deep.  Godemar  du  Fay, 
however,  threw  away  part  of  his  advantage  by 
advancing  into  the  stream.  The  English  archers 
lined  the  banks,  and  poured  showers  of  arrows  into 
the  ranks  of  the  enemy,  while  the  Genoese  bowmen 
on  their  side  were  able  to  give  comparatively  little 
assistance  to  the  French. 

King  Edward  shouted  to  his  knights,  "  Let  those 
who  love  me  follow  me,"  and  spurred  his  horse  into 
the  water.  Behind  him  followed  his  most  valiant 
knights,  and  Walter,  riding  close  to  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  was  one  of  the  foremost. 

The  French  resisted  valiantly  and  a  desperate 
battle  took  place  on  the  narrow  ford,  but  the  im- 
petuosity of  the  English  prevailed,  and  step  by  step 
they  drove  the  French  back  to  the  other  side  of  the 
river.  The  whole  army  poured  after  their  leaders, 
and  the  French  were  soon  entirely  routed  and 
fled,  leaving  two  thousand  men-at-arms  dead  on 
the  field. 

King  Edward,  having  now  freed  himself  from 
the  difficultibs  which  had  encompassed  him  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river,  prepared  to  choose  a  ground 
to  give  battle  to  the  whole  French  army. 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  227 

Louis  had  advanced  slowly,  feeling  confident  that 
the  English  would  be  unable  to  cross  the  river,  and 
that  he  should  catch  them  hemmed  in  by  it.  His 
mortification  and  surprise  on  finding,  when  he  ap- 
proached La  Blanche  Tache,  that  twelve  thousand 
men  had  been  insufiicient  to  hold  a  ford  by  which 
but  twelve  could  cross  abreast,  and  that  his  enemy 
had  escaped  from  his  grasp,  were  great.  The  tide 
had  now  risen  again,  and  he  was  obliged  to  march 
on  to  Abbeille  and  cross  the  river  there. 

King  Edward  now  advanced  into  the  forest  of 
Cressy. 

Hugh  de  le  Spencer,  with  a  considerable  force, 
was  dispatched  to  Crotoy,  which  he  carried  by 
assault  after  a  severe  conflict,  in  which  four  thou- 
sand of  the  French  men-at-arms  were  slain.  The 
capture  of  this  city  removed  all  danger  of  want 
from  the  army,  for  large  stores  of  wine  and  meal 
were  found  there,  and  Sir  Hugh  at  once  sent  off  a 
supply  to  the  tired  army  in  the  field. 

The  possession  of  Crotoy  and  the  mouth  of  the 
Somme  would  have  now  rendered  it  easy  for  the 
English  monarch  to  have  transported  his  troops  to 
England,  and  to  have  returned  triumphant  after  the 
accomplishment  of  his  extraordinary  and  most  suc- 
cessful march  through  France.  The  army,  however, 
was  elated  by  the  many  great  successes  it  had  won, 
he  was  now  in  Ponthieu,  which  w^as  one  of  his  own 
fiefs,  and  he  determined  to  make  a  stand  in  spite  of 
the  immense  superiority  of  the  enemy. 

Next  morning,  then— Friday,  the  25th  of  August, 


228  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENQLAND. 

1346 — he  dispatched  the  Earl  of  "Warwick,  with  God- 
frey of  Harcourt  and  Lord  Cobham,  to  examine  the 
ground  and  choose  a  site  for  a  battle. 

The  plan  of  the  fight  was  drawn  out  by  the  king 
and  his  councilors,  and  the  king  yielded  to  the  Black 
Prince  the  chief  place  of  danger  and  honor,  placing 
with  him  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  Sir  John  Chandos, 
and  many  of  his  best  knights. 

The  ground  which  had  been  chosen  for  the  battle 
was  an  irregular  slope  between  the  forest  of  Cressy 
and  the  river  Male  near  the  little  village  of  Canchy. 
The  slope  looked  toward  the  south  and  east,  from 
which  quarters  the  enemy  was  expected  to  arrive, 
and  some  slight  defenses  were  added  to  the  natural 
advantages  of  the  ground. 

On  the  night  of  the  25th  all  the  principal  leaders 
of  the  British  host  were  entertained  by  King  Ed- 
ward. Next  morning  mass  was  celebrated,  and  the 
king,  the  prince,  and  many  knights  and  nobles  re- 
ceived the  sacrament,  after  which  the  trumpets 
sounded,  and  the  army  marched  to  take  up  its  posi- 
tion. Its  numbers  are  variously  estimated,  but  the 
best  account  puts  it  at  about  thirty  thousand  men, 
which,  considering  that  thirty-two  thousand  had 
crossed  the  Channel  to  La  Hogue,  is  probably  about 
the  force  which  would  have  been  present,  allowing 
that  two  thousand  had  fallen  in  the  various  actions 
or  had  died  from  disease. 

The  division  of  the  Black  Prince  consisted  of  eight 
hundred  men-at-arms,  four  thousand  archers,  and 
six  thousand  Welsh   foot.     The   archers,  as   usual, 


/ 

ST.  OEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND.  229 

were  placed  in  front,  supported  by  the  light  troops 
of  Wales  and  the  men-at-arms  ;  on  his  left  was  the 
second  division,  commanded  by  the  Earls  of  Arun- 
del and  Northampton ;  its  extreme  left  rested  on 
Canchy  and  the  river,  and  it  was  further  protected 
by  a  deep  ditch  ;  this  corps  was  about  seven  thou- 
sand strong. 

The  king  himself  took  up  his  position  on  a  knoll 
of  rising  ground  surmounted  by  a  windmill,  and 
twelve  thousand  men  under  his  personal  command 
were  placed  here  in  reserve. 

In  the  rear  of  the  prince's  division  an  inclosure 
of  stakes  was  formed  ;  in  this,  guarded  by  a  small 
body  of  archers,  were  ranged  the  wagons  and  bag- 
gage of  the  army,  together  with  all  the  horses,  the 
king  having  determined  that  the  knights  and  men- 
at-arms  on  his  side  should  fight  on  foot. 

When  the  army  had  taken  up  its  position,  the 
king,  mounted  on  a  small  palfrey,  with  a  white  staff 
in  his  hand,  rode  from  rank  to  rank  exhorting  his 
soldiers  to  do  their  duty  gallantly.  It  was  nearly 
noon  before  he  had  passed  through  all  the  lines,  and 
permission  was  then  given  to  the  soldiers  to  fall  out 
from  their  ranks  and  to  take  refreshments  while 
waiting  for  the  coming  of  the  enemy.  This  was 
accordingly  done,  the  men  eating  and  drinking  at 
their  ease  and  lying  down  in  their  ranks  on  the  soft 
grass,  with  their  steel  caps  and  their  bows  or  pikes 
beside  them. 

In  the  mean  time  the  French  had,  on  their  side, 
been  preparing  for  the  battle.     Philip  had  crossed 


230  ST.  QEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

the  Somme  at  Abbeville  late  on  Thursday  after- 
noon, and  remained  there  next  day,  marshaling  the 
large  reenforcements  which  were  hourly  arriving. 
His  force  now  considerably  exceeded  one  hundred 
thousand  men,  the  number  with  which  he  had 
marched  from  Amiens  three  days  previously. 

Friday  was  the  Festival  of  St.  Louis,  and  that 
evening  Philip  gave  a  splendid  banquet  to  the  whole 
of  the  nobles  of  his  army. 

On  the  following  morning  the  king,  accompanied 
by  his  brother  the  Count  D'Alen9on,  the  old  King 
of  Bohemia  and  his  son,  the  King  of  Kome,  the 
Duke  of  Lorraine,  the  Count  of  Blois,  the  Count  of 
Flanders,  and  a  great  number  of  other  feudal 
princes,  heard  mass  at  the  abbey,  and  then 
marched  with  his  great  army  toward  Cressy.  He 
moved  but  slowly  in  order  to  give  time  to  all  the 
forces  scattered  over  the  neighborhood  to  come  up, 
and  four  knights,  headed  by  one  of  the  King  of 
Bohemia's  officers,  went  forward  to  reconnoiter  the 
English  position.  They  approached  within  very 
short  distance  of  the  English  lines  and  gained  a 
very  exact  knowledge  of  the  position,  the  English 
taking  no  measures  to  interrupt  the  reconnaissance. 
They  returned  with  the  information  they  had 
gathered,  and  the  leader  of  the  party,  Le  Moyne  de 
Basele,  one  of  the  most  judicious  officers  of  his  time, 
strongly  advised  the  king  to  halt  his  troops,  point- 
ing out  that  as  it  was  evident  the  English  were 
ready  to  give  battle,  and  as  they  were  fresh  and 
vigorous,  while    the     French     were    wearied    and 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  231 

hungry,  it  would   be   better  to  encamp  and  give 
battle  the  next  morning. 

Philip  saw  the  wisdom  of  the  advice  and  ordered 
his  two  marshals,  the  Lord  of  St.  Tenant  and 
Charles  de  Montmorency,  to  command  a  halt.  They 
instantly  spurred  oif ,  one  to  the  front  and  the  other 
to  the  rear,  commanding  the  leaders  to  halt  their 
banners.  Those  in  advance  at  once  obeyed,  but 
those  behind  still  pressed  on,  declaring  that  they 
would  not  halt  until  they  were  in  the  front  line. 
All  wanted  to  be  first,  in  order  to  obtain  their  share 
of  the  honor  and  glory  of  defeating  the  English. 
Those  in  front,  seeing  the  others  still  coming  on, 
again  pressed  forward,  and  thus,  in  spite  of  the 
efforts  of  the  king  and  his  marshals,  the  French 
nobles  with  their  followers  pressed  forward  in  con- 
fusion, until,  passing  through  a  small  wood,  they 
found  themselves  suddenly  in  the  presence  of  the 
English  army. 


232  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTER  XIY. 

CRESSY. 

The  surprise  of  the  French  army  at  finding  them- 
selves in  the  presence  of  the  English  was  so  great 
that  the  first  line  recoiled  in  confusion.  Those 
marching  up  from  behind  imagined  that  they  had 
been  already  engaged  and  repulsed  by  the  English, 
and  the  disorder  spread  through  the  whole  army, 
and  was  increased  by  the  common  people,  who  had 
crowded  to  the  field  in  immense  numbers  from  the 
whole  country  round  to  see  the  battle  and  share  in 
the  plunder  of  the  English  camp. 

From  King  Edward's  position  on  the  rising 
ground  he  could  see  the  confusion  which  prevailed 
in  the  French  ranks,  and  small  as  were  his  forces, 
he  would  probably  have  obtained  an  easy  victory 
by  ordering  a  sudden  charge  upon  them.  The 
English,  however,  being  dismounted,  but  small  re- 
sults would  have  followed  the  scattering  of  the 
great  host  of  the  French.  The  English  army  there- 
fore remained  immovable,  except  that  the  soldiers 
rose  from  the  ground,  and  taking  their  places  in  the 
ranks,  awaited  the  onslaught  of  the  enemy. 

King  Philip  himself    now  arrived  on   the  field, 


ST.  OEOBOE  FOR  ENGLAND,  233 

and  bis  hatred  for  the  English  led  him  at  once  to 
disregard  the  advice  which  had  been  given  him  and 
to  order  the  battle  to  commence  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. 

The  army  was  divided  into  four  bodies,  of  which 
Philip  commanded  one,  the  Count  D'Alen9on  the 
second,  the  King  of  Bohemia  the  third,  and  the 
Count  of  Savoy  the  fourth.  Besides  these  were  a 
band  of  fifteen  thousand  mercenaries,  Genoese 
cross-bowmen,  who  were  now  ordered  to  pass  be- 
tween the  ranks  of  cavalry  and  to  clear  the  ground 
of  the  English  archers,  who  were  drawn  up  in  the 
usual  form  in  which  they  fought — namely,  in  very 
open  order,  line  behind  line,  the  men  standing 
alternately,  so  that  each  had  ample  room  to  use  his 
bow  and  to  fire  over  the  heads  of  those  in  front. 
The  formation  was  something  that  of  a  harrow; 
and,  indeed,  exactly  resembled  that  in  which  the 
Roman  archers  fought,  and  was  called  by  them  a 
quincunx. 

The  Genoese  had  marched  four  leagues  beneath  a 
hot  sun  loaded  with  their  armor  and  heavy  cross- 
bows, and  they  remonstrated  against  the  order, 
urging  that  they  were  in  no  condition  to  do  good 
service  without  some  repose.  The  Count  D'Alen^on, 
furious  at  their  hesitation,  ordered  them  up,  but  as 
they  advanced  a  terrible  thunderstorm,  with  tor- 
rents of  rain,  broke  over  the  armies,  and  wetting 
the  cords  of  the  cross-bows  rendered  many  of  them 
unserviceable.  At  length  the  cross-bowmen  were 
arranged  in  front,  while  behind  them  were  the  vast 


234  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

body  of  French  cavalry,  and  the  order  was  given 
for  the  battle  to  begin. 

The  Genoese  advanced  with  loud  shouts,  but  the 
English  archers  paid  no  attention  to  the  noise,  but 
waited  calmly  for  the  attack.  At  this  moment  the 
sun,  now  approaching  the  west,  shone  out  brightly 
between  the  clouds  behind  the  English,  its  rays 
streaming  full  in  the  faces  of  the  French.  The 
Genoese  were  now  within  distance,  and  began  to 
discharge  their  quarrels  at  their  impassive  enemies, 
but  as  they  opened  fire  the  English  archers  drew 
their  bows  from  the  cases  which  had  protected  them 
from  the  rain,  and  stepping  forward  poured  their 
arrows  among  the  Genoese.  The  cross  bowmen 
were  smitten  as  with  a  storm,  numbers  were  struck 
in  the  face  and  other  unprotected  parts,  and  they 
were  instantly  thrown  into  confusion,  and  casting 
away  their  cross-bows  they  recoiled  in  disorder 
among  the  horsemen  behind  them. 

Philip,  passionate  and  cruel  as  ever,  instead  of 
trying  to  rally  the  Genoese,  ordered  the  cavalry 
behind  them  to  fall  upon  them,  and  the  men-at-arms 
at  once  plunged  in  among  the  disordered  mass  of 
the  cross-bowmen,  and  a  wild  scene  of  carnage  and 
confusion  ensued,  the  English  archers  continuing  to 
pour  their  unerring  arrows  into  the  midst.  The 
Count  D'Alenpon,  who  was  behind,  separated  his 
division  into  two  bodies,  and  swept  round  on  one 
side  himself,  while  the  Count  of  Flanders  did  the 
same  on  the  other  to  attack  the  Prince  of  Wales  in 
more  regular  array.      Taking  a  circuitous  route, 


ST.  GEOnaE  FOB  ENGLAND,  235 

D'Alen9on  appeared  upon  a  rising  ground  on  the 
flank  of  -the  archers  of  the  Black  Prince,  and  thus, 
avoiding  their  arrows,  charged  down  with  his 
cavalry  upon  the  eight  hundred  men-at-arms 
gathered  round  the  Black  Prince,  while  the  Count 
of  Flanders  attacked  on  the  other  flank. 

Nobly  did  the  flower  of  English  chivalry  with- 
stand the  shock  of  the  French,  and  the  prince  him- 
self and  the  highest  nobles  and  simple  men-at-arms 
fought  side  b}^  side,     l^one  gave  way  a  foot. 

In  vain  the  French,  with  impetuous  charges, 
strove  to  break  through  the  mass  of  steel.  The 
spear-heads  were  cleft  off  with  sword  and  battle- 
ax,  and  again  and  again  men  and  horses  recoiled 
from  the  unbroken  line.  Each  time  the  French  re- 
tired the  English  ranks  were  formed  anew,  and  as 
attack  followed  attack  a  pile  of  dead  rose  around 
them.  The  Count  D'Alen^on  and  the  Duke  of 
Lorraine  were  among  the  first  who  fell.  The  young 
Count  of  Blois,  finding  that  he  could  not  ride 
through  the  wall  of  steel,  dismounted  with  his 
knights  and  fought  his  way  on  foot  toward  the 
banner  of  the  Prince  of  Wales.  For  a  tim«  the 
struggle  was  desperate,  and  the  young  prince,  with 
his  household  knights,  was  for  a  time  well-nigh 
beaten  back. 

Walter,  fighting  close  beside  the  prince,  parried 
more  than  one  blow  intended  for  him,  and  the 
prince  himself  slew  the  Count  of  Blois,  whose  fol- 
lowers all  fell  around  him.  The  Count  of  Flanders 
was  also  slain,  and  confusion  began  to  reign  among 


236  ST.  GEORGE  FOE  ENGLAND. 

the  assailants,  whose  leaders  had  now  all  fallen. 
Philip  himself  strove  to  advance  with  his  division 
into  the  fight,  but  the  struggle  between  the  Genoese 
and  the  men-at-arms  was  still  continuing,  and  the 
very  multitude  of  his  troops  in  the  narrow  and 
difficult  field  which  the  English  had  chosen  for  the 
battle  embarrassed  his  movements. 

Charles  of  Luxembourg,  King  of  the  Eomans, 
and  afterward  Emperor  of  Germany,  son  of  the  old 
King  of  Bohemia,  with  a  large  body  of  German 
and  French  cavalry,  now  assailed  the  English 
archers,  and  in  spite  of  their  flights  of  arrows  came 
to  close  quarters,  and  cutting  their  way  through 
them  joined  in  the  assault  upon  the  men-at-arms  of 
the  Black  Prince.  Nearly  forty  thousand  men 
were  now  pressing  round  the  little  body,  and  the 
Earls  of  Northampton  and  Arundel  moved  forward 
with  their  divisions  to  his  support,  while  the  Earl 
of  Warwick,  who  was  with  the  prince,  dispatched 
Sir  Thomas  of  Norwich  to  the  king,  who  still 
remained  with  his  powerful  reserve,  to  ask  for  aid. 

"  Sir  Thomas,"  demanded  the  king,  "  is  my  son 
killed,  overthrown,  or  wounded  beyond  help  ?" 

''  Not  so,  sire,"  replied  the  knight,  "  but  he  is  in  a 
rude  fight,  and  much  needs  your  aid." 

"  Go  back.  Sir  Thomas,  to  those  who  sent  you, 
and  tell  them  from  me  that  whatsoever  happens 
they  require  no  aid  from  me  so  long  as  my  son  is  in 
life.  Tell  them  also  that  I  command  them  to  let  the 
boy  win  his  spurs,  for,  God  willing,  the  day  shall  be 
his,  and  the  honor  shall  revst  with  him  and  those  into 
whose  charge  I  have  given  him." 


ST.  OEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND.  237 

The  prince  and  those  around  him  were  filled  with 
fresh  ardor  when  they  received  this  message.  Each 
man  redoubled  his  efforts  to  repel  the  forces  that 
were  incessantly  poured  down  upon  them  by  the 
French.  On  all  sides  these  pressed  around  them, 
striding  desperately,  but  ever  in  vain,  to  break 
through  the  solid  ranks  of  the  English.  The 
French  men-at-arms  suffered,  moreover,  terribly 
from  the  attacks  of  the  Welsh  infantry.  These  men, 
clad  in  thick  leather  jerkins,  nimble  of  foot,  accus- 
tomed to  a  life  of  activity,  were  armed  with  short- 
ened lances  and  knives,  and  mingled  fearlessly 
among  the  confused  mass  of  French  cavalry,  creep- 
ing beneath  the  horses'  bellies,  standing  up  when 
they  got  a  chance,  and  stabbing  horses  and  men 
with  their  knives  and  pikes.  Many  were  trampled 
upon  or  struck  down,  but  numbering,  as  they  did, 
six  thousand,  they  pervaded  the  whole  mass  of  the 
enemy,  and  did  terrible  execution,  adding  in  no 
small  degree  to  the  confusion  caused  by  the  shower 
of  arrows  from  the  archers  within  the  circle  of  the 
men-at-arms.  The  instant  a  French  knight  fell, 
struck  from  his  horse  with  a  battle-ax  or  arrow,  or 
by  the  fall  of  a  wounded  steed,  the  half-wild  Welsh 
were  upon  him  and  slew  him  before  he  could  re- 
gain his  feet. 

The  slaughter  was  immense.  The  Count  of  Har- 
court,  with  his  nephew  the  Count  D'Aumale  and  his 
two  gallant  sons,  fell  together,  and  at  last  Charles 
of  Luxembourg,  seeing  his  banner  down,  his  troops 
routed,  his  friends  slain,  and  the  day  irreparably 


238  ^T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

lost,  and  being  himself  severely  wounded  in  three 
places,  turned  his  horse  and  fled,  casting  off  his  rich 
emblazoned  surcoat  to  avoid  recognition.  In  the 
mean  time  Prince  Charles'  father,  the  veteran  King 
of  Bohemia,  once  one  of  the  most  famous  warriors 
of  Europe,  but  now  old  and  blind,  sat  on  horseback 
at  a  little  distance  from  the  fight;  the  knights 
around  him  told  him  the  events  as  they  happened, 
and  the  old  monarch  soon  saw  that  the  day  was  lost. 
He  asked  them  for  tidings  of  his  son  Charles  of 
Luxembourg,  but  they  were  forced  to  reply  that  the 
banner  of  the  King  of  the  Komans  was  no  longer 
in  sight,  but  that,  doubtless,  he  was  somewhere 
engaged  in  the  melee. 

"  Lords,"  said  the  old  man,  "  you  are  my  vassals, 
my  friends,  and  my  companions,  and  on  this  day  I 
command  and  beseech  you  to  lead  me  forward  so 
far  that  I  may  deal  one  blow  of  my  sword  in  the 
battle." 

His  faithful  friends  obeyed  him,  a  number  of 
knights  arranged  themselves  around  him,  and  lest 
they  should  lose  him  in  the  fight  they  tied  their 
horses  together  by  the  bridles  and  charged  down 
into  the  fray.  Advancing  directly  against  the 
banner  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  the  blind  monarch 
was  carried  into  the  midst  of  the  thickest  strife. 
There  the  little  group  of  knights  fought  gallantly, 
and  after  the  battle  was  over  the  bodies  of  the  king 
and  his  friends  were  found  lying  together,  their 
dead  horses  still  linked  by  the  bridles. 

During  this  terrible  battle,  which  had  been  rag- 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  239 

ing  since  three  o'clock,  Philip  had  made  strenuous 
efforts  to  aid  his  troops  engaged  in  the  front  by 
continually  sending  fresh  bodies  to  the  assault.  It 
was  now  growing  dark,  terror  and  confusion  had 
already  spread  among  the  French,  and  many  were 
flying  in  all  directions,  and  the  unremitting  show- 
ers of  English  arrows  still  flew  like  hail  among 
their  ranks.  As  the  king  made  his  way  forward, 
surrounded  by  his  personal  attendants,  to  take  part 
himself  in  the  fight,  his  followers  fell  thick  around 
him,  and  his  horse  was  slain  by  an  arrow.  John  of 
Hainault,  who  had  remained  by  his  side  during  the 
whole  day,  mounted  him  upon  a  fresh  horse  and 
urged  him  to  fly,  as  the  day  was  lost.  Philip,  how- 
ever, persisted,  and  made  his  way  into  the  melee, 
where  he  fought  for  some  time  with  extreme  cour- 
age, until  almost  all  around  him  were  slain,  the 
royal  standard-bearer  killed,  and  himself  wounded 
in  two  places.  John  of  Hainault  then  seized  his 
bridle,  exclaiming,  "  Come  away,  sire,  it  is  full  time ; 
do  not  throw  your  life  away  foolishly  ;  if  you  have 
lost  this  day  you  will  win  another,"  and  so  almost 
forced  the  unwilling  king  from  the  field.  Philip, 
accompanied  by  the  lords  of  Montmorency,  Beau- 
jeu,  Aubigny,  and  Mansault,  with  John  of  Hainault 
and  sixty  men-at-arms,  rode  to  the  Castle  of  Broye, 
and  there  Halted  for  a  few  hours.  At  midnight  he 
again  set  out,  and  in  the  morning  arrived  safely  at 
Amiens. 

The  Black  Prince  held  his  station  until   night 
without  yielding  a  single  step  to  all  the  efforts  of 


240  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

the  French.  Gradually,  however,  the  assailants  be- 
came less  and  less  numerous,  the  banners  disap- 
peared, and  the  shouts  of  the  leaders  and  the  clang 
of  arms  died  away,  and  the  silence  which  prevailed 
over  the  field  at  once  announced  that  the  victory 
was  complete  and  the  enemy  in  full  flight.  An  im- 
mense number  of  torches  were  now  lighted  through 
the  English  lines,  and  the  king,  quitting  for  the 
first  time  his  station  on  the  hill,  came  clown  to  em- 
brace his  gallant  son.  Edward  and  his  host  rejoiced 
in  a  spirit  of  humility  over  the  victory.  JSTo  songs 
of  triumph,  no  feastings  or  merriment  were  per- 
mitted, but  a  solemn  service  of  the  Church  was  held, 
and  the  king  and  his  soldiers  offered  their  thanks 
to  God  for  the  victory  he  had  given  them.  The 
English  arm}^  lay  all  night  under  arms,  and  a  num- 
ber of  scattered  parties  of  the  French  wandering 
about  in  the  darkness  entered  the  lines  and  were 
slain  or  taken  prisoners. 

The  dawn  of  the  next  morning  was  thick  and 
foggy,  and  intelligence  coming  in  that  a  large  body 
of  the  enemy  were  advancing  upon  them,  the  Earls 
of  Northampton,  Warwick,  and  l^orfolk,  with  five 
hundred  men-at-arms  and  two  thousand  archers, 
went  out  to  reconnoiter,  and  came  in  the  misty 
twilight  upon  an  immense  force  composed  of  the 
citizens  of  Beauvais,  Rouen,  and  some  other  towns, 
led  by  the  Grand  Prior  of  France  and  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Eouen,  who  were  approaching  the  field. 

By  some  extraordinary  accident  they  had  not  met 
any  of  the  fugitives  flying  from  Cressy,  and  were 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  241 

ignorant  that  a  battle  had  been  fought.  The  Eng- 
lish charged  them  at  once.  Their  advance-guard, 
consisting  of  burghers,  was  easily  overthrown.  The 
second  division,  which  was  composed  of  men-at- 
arms,  fought  bravely,  but  was  unable  to  withstand 
the  charge  of  the  triumphant  English,  and  was  com- 
pletely broken  and  defeated.  The  grand  prior 
was  killed  and  a  vast  number  of  his  followers  slain 
or  captured.  During  the  whole  of  the  morning  de- 
tached parties  from  Edward's  army  scoured  the 
country,  dispersing  and  slaughtering  bands  of 
French  who  still  remained  together,  and  toward 
night  the  Earl  of  Northampton  returned  to  the 
camp  with  the  news  that  no  enemy  remained  in  the 
vicinit}''  that  could  offer  a  show  of  resistance  to  the 
English  force. 

It  is  said  that  a  far  greater,  number  of  French 
were  killed  upon  the  second  day  than  upon  the  first. 
This  can  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  on  the 
first  day  but  a  small  portion  of  the  English  army 
were  engaged,  and  that  upon  the  second  the  Eng- 
lish were  fresh  and  vigorous,  and  their  enemies  ex- 
hausted and  dispirited. 

The  greater  number  of  the  French  nobles  and 
knights  who  fell  died  in  their  attempt  to  break 
through  the  Black  Prince's  array.  Besides  the  King 
of  Bohemia,  nine  sovereign  princes  and  eighty  great 
nobles  were  killed,  with  twelve  hundred  knights, 
fifteen  hundred  men-at-arms,  and  thirty  thousand 
foot;  while  on  the  English  side  only  three  knights 
and  a  small  number  of  men-at-arms  and  infantry 


242  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

were  killed.  The  body  of  the  King  of  Bohemia 
and  those  of  the  other  great  leaders  were  carried  in 
solemn  pomp  to  the  Abbey  of  Maintenay.  Ed  ward 
himself  and  his  son  accompanied  them  as  mourners. 

On  the  Monday  following  Edward  marched  with 
his  army  against  Calais,  and  summoned  the  town 
to  surrender.  John  of  Yienne,  who  commanded 
the  garrison,  refused  to  comply  with  the  demand. 
The  fortifications  of  the  town  were  extremely 
strong  and  the  garrison  numerous,  and  Edward  per- 
ceived that  an  assault  would  be  very  unlikely  to 
succeed,  and  would  entail  great  loss,  while  a  repulse 
would  have  dimmed  the  luster  of  the  success  which 
he  had  gained.  He  therefore  determined  to  reduce 
it  by  famine,  and  the  troops  were  set  to  work  to 
build  huts.  So  permanently  and  strongly  were 
these  constructed  that  it  seemed  to  the  enemy  that 
King  Edward  was  determined  to  remain  before 
Calais  even  should  he  have  to  stay  there  for  ten 
years. 

Proclamations  were  issued  in  England  and  Flan- 
ders inviting  traders  to  establish  stores  and  to  bring 
articles  of  trade  of  all  kinds,  and  in  a  short  time  a 
complete  town  sprang  up  which  was  named  by 
Edward  JSTew-Town  the  Bold.  The  English  fleet 
held  complete  possession  of  the  sea,  cutting  off  the 
besieged  from  all  succor  by  ship,  and  enabling 
abundant  supplies  for  the  army  to  be  brought  from 
England  and  Flanders.  Strong  parties  were  sent 
out  in  all  directions.  The  northern  provinces  of 
France  were  scoured,  and  the  army  was  amply  pro- 
xr{t\p^.(\  With  necessaries  and  even  luxuries. 


ST.  QEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND.  243 

After  the  first  terrible  shock  caused  by  the  crush- 
ing defeat  of  Cressy,  King  Philip  began  at  once  to 
take  measures  for  the  relief  of  Calais,  and  made  im- 
mense efforts  again  to  put  a  great  army  in  the  field. 
He  endeavored  by  all  means  in  his  power  to  gain 
fresh  allies.  The  young  Count  of  Flanders,  who  at 
the  death  of  his  father  at  Cressy  w^as  sixteen  years 
of  age,  was  naturally  even  more  hostile  to  the  Eng- 
lish than  the  late  prince  had  been,  and  he  strove  to 
win  over  his  subjects  to  the  French  alliance,  while 
Philip  made  them  magnificent  offers  if  they  would 
join  him.  The  Flemings,  however,  remained 
stanch  to  the  English  alliance,  and  held  their 
prince  in  duress  until  he  at  last  consented  to  marry 
the  daughter  of  Edward.  A  week  before  the  date 
fixed  for  the  nuptials,  however,  he  managed  to  es- 
cape from  the  vigilance  of  his  guards  when  out 
hawking,  and  fled  to  the  court  of  France. 

In  Scotland  Philip  was  more  successful,  and 
David  Bruce,  instead  of  employing  the  time  given 
him  by  the  absence  of  Edward  with  his  armies  in 
driving  out  the  English  garrisons  from  the  strong 
places  they  still  held  in  Scotland,  raised  an  army  of 
fifty  thousand  men  and  marched  across  the  border 
into  England  plundering  and  ravaging.  Queen 
Philippa,  however,  raising  an  army,  marched 
against  him,  and  the  Scotch  were  completely  de- 
feated at  Neville's  Cross,  fifteen  thousand  being 
killed  and  their  king  himself  taken  prisoner. 

Walter's  conduct  at  the  battte  of  Cressy  gained 
him  still  further  the  favor  of  the  Black  Prince.    The 


244  JST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

valor  with  which  he  had  fought  was  conspicuous 
even  on  a  field  where  all  fought  gallantly,  and  the 
prince  felt  that  mor^  than  once  he  would  have  been 
smitten  down  had  not  Walter's  sword  interposed. 
Ealph  too  had  fought  with  reckless  bravery,  and 
many  French  knights  and  gentlemen  had  gone 
down  before  the  tremendous  blows  of  his  heavy 
mace,  against  which  the  stoutest  armor  availed 
nothing.  After  the  battle  the  prince  offered  to 
make  him  an  esquire  in  spite  of  the  absence  of 
gentle  blood  in  his  veins,  but  Ealph  declined  the 
honor. 

"  An  it  please  you.  Sir  Prince,"  he  said,  "  but  I 
should  feel  more  comfortable  among  the  men-at- 
arms,  my  fellows.  In  the  day  of  battle  I  trust  that 
I  should  do  no  discredit  to  my  squirehood,  but  at 
other  times  I  should  feel  woefully  out  of  my 
element,  and  should  find  naught  for  my  hands  to 
do ;  therefore,  if  it  so  pleases  your  royal  highness, 
I  would  far  rather  remain  a  simple  man-at-arms." 

Ralph  did  not,  however,  refuse  the  heavy  purse 
which  the  prince  gave  him,  although  indeed  he,  as 
well  as  all  the  soldiers,  was  well  supplied  with 
money,  so  great  were  the  spoils  which  the  army 
had  gathered  in  its  march  before  Cressy,  and  which 
they  now  swept  off  in  their  raids  among  the 
northern  provinces  of  France. 

One  evening  Walter  was  returning  from  a  ban- 
quet at  the  pavilion  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  with 
Ralph  as  usual  following  at  a  little  distance,  when 
from  a  corner  of  the  street  a  man  darted  suddenly 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  245 

out  and  struck  a  dagger  with  all  his  force  between 
his  shoulders.  Well  was  it  for  Walter  that  he  had 
taken  Geoffrey's  advice,  and  had  never  laid  aside 
the  shirt  of  mail,  night  or  day.  Fine  as  was  its 
temper,  two  or  three  links  of  the  outer  fold  were 
broken,  but  the  point  did  not  penetrate  the  second 
fold,  and  the  dagger  snapped  in  the  hand  of  the 
striker.  The  force  of  the  sudden  blow,  however, 
hurled  Walter  to  the  ground.  With  a  loud  cry 
Kalph  rushed  forward.  The  man  instantly  fled. 
Kalph  pursued  him  but  a  short  distance  and  then 
hastened  back  to  Walter. 

"  Are  you  hurt.  Sir  Walter  ?"  he  exclaimed. 

"  In  no  way,  Ralph,  thanks  to  my  shirt  of  mail. 
Well,  indeed,  was  it  for  me  that  1  was  wearing  it  or 
I  should  assuredly  have  been  a  dead  man.  I  had 
almost  begun  to  forget  that  I  was  a  threatened 
man  ;  but  I  shall  be  on  guard  for  the  future." 

"  I  wish  I  had  followed  the  fellow,"  Ealph  said. 
"  I  would  not  have  slain  him  could  I  have  helped  it, 
but  would  have  left  it  for  the  hangman  to  extort  from 
him  the  name  of  his  employer ;  but,  in  truth,  he 
struck  so  hard,  and  you  fell  so  straight  before  the 
blow,  that  I  feared  the  mail  had  given  way,  and 
that  you  were  sorely  wounded  if  not  killed.  You 
have  oft  told  me  that  I  was  over-careful  of  you,  but 
you  see  that  I  was  not  .careful  enough  ;  however, 
you  may  be  assured  that  if  another  attempt  be  made 
those  who  attempt  it  shall  not  get  off  scot-free. 
Do  you  think  of  laying  a  complaint  before  the 
provost  against  him  you  suspect  ?" 


Jg46  ST.  OEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"  It  would  be  useless,  Kalph.  We  may  have  sus- 
picion of  the  man  from  whom  the  blow  came,  but 
have  no  manner  of  proof.  It  might  have  been  done 
by  any  ruffian  camp-follower,  who  struck  the  blow 
only  with  the  hope  of  carrying  off  my  chain  and 
purse.  The  camp  swarms  with  such  fellows,  and 
we  have  no  clew  which  could  lead  to  his  detection, 
unless,"  he  added,  stooping  and  picking  up  a  piece 
of  steel  which  lay  at  his  feet,  "  this  broken  dagger 
may  some  day  furnish  us  with  one.  No  ;  we  will 
say  naught  about  it.  Sir  James  Carnegie  is  not  now 
in  camp,  having  left  a  week  since  on  business  in 
England.  We  exchange  no  words  when  we  meet, 
but  I  heard  that  he  had  been  called  away.  Fortu- 
nately the  young  prince  likes  him  not,  and  I  therefore 
have  seldom  occasion  to  meet  him.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  he  credits  me  with  the  disfavor  in  which 
he  is  held  by  the  prince ;  but  I  have  never  even 
mentioned  his  name  before  him,  and  the  prince's 
misliking  is  but  the  feeling  which  a  noble  and 
generous  heart  has,  as  though  by  instinct,  against 
one  who  is  false  and  treacherous.  At  the  same  time 
we  must  grant  that  this  traitor  knight  is  a  bold  and 
fearless  man-at-arms  ;  he  fought  well  at  La  Blanche 
Tache  and  Cressy,  and  he  is  much  liked  and  trusted 
by  my  Lord  of  Northampton,  in  whose  following  he 
mostly  rides ;  'tis  a  pity  that  one  so  brave  should 
have  so  foul  and  treacherous  a  heart.  Here  we  are 
at  my  hut,  and  you  can  sleep  soundly  to-night, 
Ralph,  for  there  is  little  fear  that  the  fellow,  who 
has  failed  to-night,  will  repeat  his  attempt  for  some 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  247 

time.  He  thinks,  no  doubt,  that  he  has  killed  me, 
for  with  a  blow  so  strongly  struck  he  would  scarce 
have  felt  the  snapping  of  the  weapon,  and  is  likely 
enough  already  on  board  one  of  the  ships  which  ply 
to  and  fro  from  England  on  his  way  to  acquaint  his 
employer  that  I  am  removed  from  his  path." 

The  next  morning  Walter  mentioned  to  the  Black 
Prince  the  venture  which  had  befallen  him,  and  the 
narrow  escape  he  had  had  of  his  life.  The  prince 
was  extremely  exasperated,  and  gave  orders  that  an 
inquisition  should  be  made  through  the  camp,  and 
that  all  men  found  there  not  being  able  to  give  a 
good  account  of  themselves  as  having  reasonable 
and  lawful  calling  there  should  be  forthwith  put  on 
board  ship  and  sent  to  England.  He  questioned 
Walter  closely  whether  he  deemed  that  this  attack 
was  for  the  purpose  of  plunder  only,  or  whether 
he  had  any  reason  to  believe  that  he  had  private 
enemies. 

"  There  is  a  knight  who  is  evilly  disposed  toward 
me,  your  highness,"  Walter  said  ;  "  but  seeing  that 
I  have  no  proof  whatever  that  he  had  a  hand  in 
this  affair,  however  strongly  I  may  suspect  it,  I 
would  fain,  with  your  leave,  avoid  mentioning  his 
name." 

"  But  think  you  that  there  is  any  knight  in  this 
camp  capable  of  so  foul  an  action  ?" 

"  I  have  had  proofs,  your  highness,  that  he  is  ca- 
pable of  such  an  act ;  but  in  this  matter  my  tongue 
is  tied,  as  the  wrong  he  attempted  was  not  against 
myself,  but  against  others  who  have  so  far  forgiven 


248  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

him  that  they  would  fain  the  matter  should  drop. 
He  owes  me  ill-will,  seeing  that  I  am  aware  of  his  con- 
duct, and  that  it  was  my  intervention  which  caused 
his  schemes  to  fail.  Should  this  attempt  against  me 
be  repeated  it  can  scarce  be  the  effect  of  chance,  but 
would  show  premeditated  design,  and  I  would  then, 
both  in  defense  of  my  own  life,  and  because  1  think 
that  such  deeds  should  not  go  unpunished,  not 
hesitate  to  name  him  to  you,  and  if  proof  be  want- 
ing to  defy  him  to  open  combat." 

"  I  regret.  Sir  Walter,  that  your  scruples  should 
hinder  you  from  at  once  denouncing  him  ;  but  seeing 
how  grave  a  matter  it  is  to  charge  a  knight  with  so 
foul  a  crime,  I  will  not  lay  stress  upon  you  ;  but  be 
assured  that  should  any  repetition  of  the  attempt 
be  made  I  shall  take  the  matter  in  hand,  and  will 
see  that  this  caitiff  knight  receives  his  deserts." 

A  short  time  afterward  Walter  accompanied  the 
prince  in  an  excursion  which  he  made  with  a  portion 
of  the  army,  sweeping  the  French  provinces  as  far 
as  the  river  Somme.  Upon  their  wa^^  back  they 
passed  through  the  village  of  Pres,  hard  by  which 
which  stood  a  small  castle.  It  was  situate  some 
forty  miles  from  Calais,  and  standing  upon  rising 
ground  it  commanded  a  very  extensive  view  over 
the  country. 

"  What  say  you.  Sir  Walter  ?"  the  prince  said  to 
the  young  knight  who  was  riding  near  him.  "  That 
castle  would  make  a  good  advanced  post,  and  a 
messenger  riding  in  could  bring  new^s  of  any  large 
movements    of    the    enemy."      Walter    assented. 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  249 

"Then,  Sir  Walter,  I  name  you  its  chatelain.  I 
shall  be  sorry  to  lose  your  good  company ;  but  the 
post  is  one  of  peril,  and  I  know  that  you  are  ever 
longing  to  distinguish  yourself.  Take  forty  men- 
at-arms  and  sixty  archers.  With  that  force  you 
ma}^  make  shift  to  resist  any  attack  until  help 
reaches  you  from  camp.  You  may  be  sure  that  I 
shall  not  be  slack  in  spurring  to  your  rescue  should 
you  be  assailed." 

Walter  received  the  proposal  with  delight.  He 
was  weary  of  the  monotony  of  life  in  ]^ew  Town, 
and  this  post,  in  which  vigilance  and  activity 
would  be  required,  was  just  to  his  taste ;  so,  taking 
the  force  named  by  the  prince,  with  a  store  of  pro- 
vision, he  drew  off  from  the  column  and  entered  the 
castle. 


250  'Sr.  QEORQE  FOB  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTER  Xy. 

THE   SIEGE   OF   A   FORTALICE. 

Walter's  first  step  on  assuming  the  command 
was  to  examine  thoroughly  into  the  capabilities  of 
defense  of  the  place,  to  see  that  the  well  was  in 
good  order,  and  the  supply  of  water  ample,  and  to 
send  out  a  foraging  party,  which,  driving  in  a  num- 
ber of  beasts  and  some  cart-loads  of  forage,  would 
supply  his  garrison  for  some  time.  The  castle  he 
found  was  less  strong  than  it  looked.  The  walls 
were  lightly  built,  and  were  incapable  of  withstand- 
ing any  heavy  battering.  The  moat  was  dry,  and 
the  flanking  towers  badly  placed,  and  affording 
little  protection  to  the  faces  of  the  walls  ;  however, 
the  extent  of  the  defenses  was  small,  and  Walter 
felt  confident  that  with  the  force  at  his  command  he 
could  resist  any  sudden  attack,  unless  made  in  over- 
whelming force,  so  that  all  the  faces  of  the  wall 
could  be  assaulted  at  the  same  time.  He  had  a 
large  number  of  great  stones  brought  in  to  pile 
against  the  gate,  while  others  were  brought  into 
the  central  keep,  similarly  to  defend  the  door  should 
the  outer  wall  be  carried.  He  appointed  Ralph  as 
his  lieutenant,  and  every  day,  leaving  him  in  charge 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  251 

of  the  castle,  rode  through  the  country  for  many 
miles  round,  with  twenty  men-at-arms,  to  convince 
himself  that  no  considerable  force  of  the  enemy 
were  approaching.  These  reconnaissances  were  not 
without  some  danger  and  excitement,  for  several 
times  bodies  of  the  country  people,  armed  with 
scythes,  axes,  and  staves,  tried  to  intercept  them  on 
their  return  to  the  castle,  and  once  or  twice  Walter 
and  his  men  had  to  fight  their  way  through  their 
opponents.  Contrary  to  the  custom  of  the  times, 
Walter  gave  orders  to  his  men  not  to  slay  any  when 
resistance  had  ceased. 

"  They  are  but  doing  what  we  ourselves  should 
do  did  French  garrisons  hold  our  castles  at  home, 
and  I  deem  them  in  no  way  to  be  blamed  for  the 
efforts  which  they  make  to  slay  us.  In  self-defense, 
of  course,  we  must  do  our  best,  and  must  kill  in 
order  that  we  may  not  ourselves  be  slain ;  but  when 
they  are  once  routed,  let  them  go  to  their  homes. 
Poor  people,  the  miseries  which  this  war  has  brought 
upon  them  are  great,  and  there  is  no  wonder  that 
they  hate  us.'^ 

This  leniency  on  Walter's  part  was  not  without 
good  effect.  When  the  country  people  found  that 
the  garrison  of  the  castle  of  Pres  did  not  carry  fire 
and  sword  through  the  villages  around,  that  they 
took  only  sufficient  for  their  needs,  and  behaved 
with  courtesy  to  all,  their  animosity  to  a  great  ex- 
tent subsided.  No  longer  did  the  women  and 
children  of  the  little  villages  fly  to  the  woods  when 
they  saw  the  gleam  of  Walter's  approaching  spear«u 


252  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

but  remained  at  their  avocations,  and  answered 
willingly  enough,  the  questions  which  he  asked  them 
as  to  whether  they  had  heard  aught  of  the  move- 
ments of  French  troops.  So  far  as  possible,  Walter 
refrained  from  seizing  the  cattle  or  stores  of  grain 
of  the  poorer  classes,  taking  such  as  he  needed  from 
the  lands  of  the  wealthy  proprietors,  all  of  whom 
had  left  the  country,  and  were  either  with  the  French 
army  or  sheltering  in  Paris.  Five  of  his  best 
mounted  men  Walter  chose  as  messengers,  and  one 
rode  each  day  to  J^ew  Town  with  the  news  which 
had  been  gathered,  returning  on  the  following  day, 
and  then  resting  his  horse  for  three  days  before 
again  setting  out. 

Night  and  day  sentries  were  placed  on  the  walls, 
for  although  Walter  heard  nothing  of  any  body 
gathering  in  his  immediate  vicinity,  a  force  might 
at  anj  moment  issue  from  Amiens  and  appear  sud- 
denly before  the  place.  Such  was  indeed  what 
really  took  place,  and  at  daybreak  one  morning 
Walter  was  aroused  by  the  news  that  the  sentinels 
saw  a  large  body  of  men  rapidly  approaching.  The 
horse  of  the  messenger  next  on  duty  stood,  as  usual, 
saddled  and  bridled  in  readiness,  and  without  a 
moment's  delay  Walter  ordered  the  man  to  mount 
and  ride  to  the  prince,  and  to  give  news'  that  the 
castle  was  assailed,  but  by  how  large  a  force  he 
could  not  as  yet  say. 

The  instant  the  messenger  had  started  through  the 
gates  Walter  ascended  to  the  walls ;  he  saw  at  once 
that  the  party  was  a  strong  one ;  for  although  still 


ST.  OEORGE  FOR  ENOLANIX.  253 

at  some  distance,  and  but  dimly  seen  in  the  gray 
morning  liglit,  he  judged  that  it  must  contain  at 
least  a  thousand  men-at-arms.  At  this  moment  a 
call  from  the  sentry  on  the  other  side  of  the 
castle  was  heard,  and  hastening  thither,  Walter  saw 
that  another  body  nearly  as  numerous  as  the  first 
were  approaching  from  the  side  of  Calais,  having 
made  a  detour  so  as  to  place  themselves  between 
the  castle  and  the  army,  to  which  news  would 
naturally  be  sent  of  their  coming.  Walter  watched 
his  messenger,  who  had  now  ridden  half  a  mile 
toward  the  approaching  body.  Suddenly  he  saw 
him  turn  his  horse  and  ride  off  at  right  angles  to  the 
road. 

"  He  sees  them,"  he  said,  "  and  is  going  to  try  to 
ride  round  them.  I  fear  that  there  is  but  little  hope 
of  his  escaping,  seeing  that  they  are  between  him 
and  Calais,  and  that  assuredly  some  among  them 
must  be  as  well  or  better  mounted  than  himself." 
As  he  spoke  a  party  of  horsemen  were  seen  to 
detach  themselves  from  the  flank  of  the  French 
column  and  to  gallop  off  at  full  speed  to  intercept 
the  messenger ;  the  latter  diverged  more  and  more 
from  his  course,  but  he  was  constantly  headed  off 
by  his  pursuers,  and  at  last,  seeing  the  impossibility 
of  getting  through  them,  he  again  turned  his  horse's 
head  and  galloped  off  toward  the  castle,  which  he 
reached  a  few  hundred  yards  only  in  advance  of  his 
foes. 

"  I  could  not  help  it.  Sir  Walter,"  he  said  as  he 
galloped  in  at  the  gate.     "  I  found  that  although 


254  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

Eobin  is  fast,  some  of  those  horsemen  had  the  turn 
of  speed  of  me,  and  that  it  was  impossible  that  I 
could  get  through  ;  so  deeming  that  I  should  do 
more  service  by  coming  to  strike  a  blow  here  than 
by  having  my  throat  cut  out  in  the  fields,  I  made 
the  best  of  my  way  back." 

"  Quite  right,  Martin !"  Walter  said.  "  I  should 
have  been  grieved  had  you  thrown  your  life  away 
needlessl3^  I  saw  from  the  first  that  your  escape 
was  cut  off.  And  now,  men,  each  to  his  place ;  but 
first  pile  up  the  stones  against  the  gate,  and  then 
let  each  man  take  a  good  meal,  for  it  is  like  enough 
to  be  long  before  we  get  a  chance  of  doing  so 
again." 

Again  ascending  to  the  walls,  "Walter  saw  that 
the  first  body  of  men-at-arms  he  had  perceived  was 
followed  at  a  distance  by  a  strong  force  of  footmen 
having  with  them  some  larg^  wagons. 

"  I  fear,"  he  said  to  Kalph,  "  that  they  have 
brought  machines  with  them  from  Amiens,  and  in 
that  c.ise  they  will  not  '^e  long  in  effecting  a  breach, 
for  doubtless  they  know  that  the  walls  are  but 
weak.  We  shall  have  to  fight  stoutly,  for  it  may 
be  days  before  the  news  of  our  leaguer  reaches  the 
camp.  However,  I  trust  that  the  prince  will,  by 
to-morrow  night,  when  he  finds  that  two  days  have 
elapsed  without  the  coming  of  my  usual  messenger, 
suspect  that  we  are  besieged  and  will  sally  forth  to 
our  assistance.  And  now  let  us  to  breakfast,  for 
we  shall  need  all  our  strength  to-day,  and  you  may 
be  sure  that  the  French  will  lose  no  time  in  attack- 


ST.  OEOBOE  FOE  ENGLAND,  255 

ing,  seeing  that  assistance  may  shortly  arrive  from 
Calais." 

There  were  but  few  preparations  to  be  made. 
Each  man  had  had  his  post  assigned  to  him  on  the 
walls  in  case  of  an  attack,  and  piles  of  stones  had 
been  collected  in  readiness  to  cast  down  upon  the 
heads  of  those  attempting  an  assault.  Caldrons 
were  carried  up  to  the  walls  and  filled  with  water, 
and  great  fires  were  lighted  under  them.  In  half 
an  hour  the  French  infantry  had  reached  the  spot, 
but  another  two  hours  elapsed  before  any  hostile 
movement  was  made,  the  leaders  of  the  assailants 
giving  their  men  that  time  to  rest  after  their  long 
march.  Then  a  stir  was  visible  among  them,  and 
they  were  seen  to  form  in  four  columns,  each  about 
a  thousand  strong,  which  advanced  simultaneously 
against  opposite  sides  of  the  castle. 

As  soon  as  their  intentions  were  manifest  Walter 
divided  his  little  force,  and  these,  gathering  in  four 
groups  upon  the  walls,  prepared  to  resist  the  assault. 
To  four  of  his  most  trusty  men-at-arms  he  assigned 
the  command  of  these  parties,  he  himself  and  Ralph 
being  thus  left  free  to  give  their  aid  where  it  was 
most  needed. 

The  assailants  were  well  provided  with  scaling 
ladders,  and  advanced  with  a  number  of  cross-bow- 
men in  front,  who  speedily  opened  a  hot  fire  on  the 
walls.  Walter  ordered  his  archers  to  bide  their 
time,  and  not  to  fire  a  shot  till  certain  that  every 
shaft  would  tell.  They  accordingly  waited  until 
the  French  arrived  within  fifty  yards  of  the  wall, 


256  'SI'.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

when  the  arrows  began  to  rain  among  them  with 
deadly  effect ;  scarce  one  but  struck  its  mark — the 
face  of  an  enemy.  Even  the  closed  visors  of  the 
knights  and  chief  men-at-arms  did  not  avail  to 
protect  their  wearers  ;  the  shafts  pierced  between 
the  bars  or  penetrated  the  slits  left  open  for  sight, 
and  many  fell  slain  by  the  first  volley.  But  their 
numbers  were  far  too  great  to  allow  the  columns 
being  checked  by  the  fire  of  so  small  a  number  of 
archers ;  the  front  ranks,  indeed,  pressed  forward 
more  eagerly  than  before,  being  anxious  to  reach 
the  foot  of  the  wall,  where  they  would  be  in  com- 
parative shelter  from  the  arrows. 

The  archers  disturbed  themselves  in  no  way  at 
the  reaching  of  the  wall  by  the  heads  of  the 
columns ;  but  continued  to  shoot  fast  and  true  into 
the  mass  behind  them,  and  as  these  were,  for  the 
most  part,  less  completely  armed  than  their  leaders, 
numbers  fell  under  the  fire  of  the  sixty  English 
bowmen.  It  was  the  turn  of  the  men-at-arms  now.. 
Immediately  the  assailants  poured  into  the  dry 
moat  and  sought  to  raise  their  ladders  the  men-at- 
arms  hurled  down  the  masses  of  stones  piled  in 
readiness,  while  some  poured  buckets  of  boiling 
water  over  them.  In  spite  of  the  loss  they  were 
suffering  the  French  raised  their  ladders,  and  cov- 
ering their  heads  with  their  shields  the  leaders 
.strove  to  gain  the  walls.  As  they  did  so  some  of 
the  archers  took  post  in  the  flanking  towers,  and  as 
with  uplifted  arms  the  assailants  climbed  the  lad- 
ders, the  archers  smote  them  above  the   joints  of 


ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  257 

their  armor  beneath  the  armpits,  while  the  men-at- 
arms  with  pike  and  battle-ax  hewed  down  those 
who  reached  the  top  of  the  ladders.  Walter  and 
Ralph  hastened  from  point  to  point  encouraging 
the  men  and  joining  in  the  defense  where  the 
pressure  was  hottest;  and  at  last,  after  two  hours 
of  vain  effort  and  suffering  great  loss,  the  assailants 
drew  off  and  the  garrison  had  breathing-time. 

"  Well  done,  my  men  !"  Walter  said  cheeringly  ; 
"  they  have  had  a  lesson  which  they  will  remember, 
and  if  so  be  that  they  have  brought  with  them  no 
machines  we  may  hold  out  against  them  for  any 
time." 

It  was  soon  manifest,  however,  that  along  with 
the  scaling  ladders  the  enemy  had  brought  one  of 
their  war-machines.  Men  were  seen  dragging  mas- 
sive beams  of  timber  toward  the  walls,  and  one  of 
the  wagons  was  drawn  forward  and  upset  on  its 
side  at  a  distance  of  sixty  yards  from  the  wall,  not, 
however,  without  those  who  drew  it  suffering  mucii 
from  the  arrows  of  the  bowmen.  Behind  the  shel- 
ter thus  formed  the  French  began  to  put  together 
the  machine,  whose  beams  soon  raised  themselves 
high  above  the  wagon. 

In  the  mean  time  groups  of  men  dragged  great 
stones  laid  upon  a  sort  of  hand  sledge  to  the  ma- 
chine, and  late  in  the  afternoon  it  began  to  cast  its 
missiles  against  the  wall.  Against  these  Walter 
could  do  little.  He  had  no  sacks,  which,  filled  with 
fiarth,  he  might  have  lowered  to  cover  the  part  of 
the   walls   assailed,   and   beyond    annoying    those 


258  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

working  the  machines  by  flights  of  arrows  shot 
high  in  the  air,  so  as  to  descend  point  downward 
among  them,  he  could  do  nothing. 

The  wall  crumbled  rapidly  beneath  the  blows  of 
the  great  stones,  and  Walter  saw  that  by  the  fol- 
lowino^  mornmo^  a  breach  would  be  effected.  When 
niofht  fell  he  called  his  men  too^ether  and  asked  if 
any  would  volunteer  to  carry  news  through  the 
enemy  to  the  prince.  The  enterprise  seemed  well- 
nigh  hopeless,  for  the  French,  as  if  foreseeing  that 
such  an  attempt  might  be  made,  had  encamped  in 
a  complete  circle  round  the  ca^le,  as  w^as  manifest 
by  the  position  of  their  fires.  Several  men  stepped 
forward,  and  Walter  chose  three  light  and  active 
men — archers — to  attempt  the  enterprise.  These 
stripped  off  their  steel  caps  and  breast-pieces,  so 
that  they  might  move  more  quickly,  and  when  the 
French  fires  burned  low  and  all  was  quiet  save  the 
creak  of  the  machine  and  the  dull  heavy  blows  of 
the  stones  against  the  wall,  the  three  men  were 
lowered  by  ropes  at  different  points,  and  started  on 
their  enterprise.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  the 
garrison  heard  shouts  and  cries,  and  knew  that  a 
vigilant  watch  had  been  set  by  the  French,  and 
that  one,  if  not  all,  of  their  friends  had  fallen  into 
their  hands.  All  night  long  the  machine  continued 
to  play. 

An  hour  before  daylight,  when  he  deemed  that 
the  enemy's  vigilance  would  be  relaxed,  Walter 
caused  himself  with  Kalph  and  twelve  of  his  men- 
at-arms   to   be  lowered   by  ropes  from  the  wall. 


ST,  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  259 

Each  rope  had  a  loop  at  the  bottom  in  which  one 
foot  was  placed,  and  knots  were  tied  in  order  to 
give  a  better  grasp  for  the  hands.  They  were 
lowered  at  a  short  distance  from  the  spot  at  which 
the  machine  was  at  work ;  all  were  armed  with 
axes,  and  they  made  their  way  unperceived  until 
within  a  few  yards  of  the  wagon.  Then  there  was 
a  cry  of  alarm,  and  in  a  moment  they  rushed  for- 
ward among  the  enemy.  The  men  working  the 
machine  were  instantly  cut  down,  and  Walter  and 
his  part}'"  fell  upon  the  machine,  cutting  the  ropes 
and  smashing  the  wheels  and  pulleys  and  hewing 
away  at  the  timber  itself.  In  a  minute  or  two, 
however,  they  were  attacked  by  the  enemy,  the 
ofl&cer  in  command  having  bade  a  hundred  men  lie 
down  to  sleep  close  behind  the  machine  in  case  the 
garrison  should  attempt  a  sortie.  Walter  called 
upon  Kalph  and  four  of  the  men-at-arms  to  stand 
beside  him  while  the  others  continued  their  work 
of  destruction.  The  French  came  up  in  a  tumul- 
tuous body,  but  standing  so  far  apart  that  they 
could  wield  their  axes,  the  English  dealt  such  de- 
struction among  their  first  assailants  that  these  for 
a  time  recoiled.  As  fresh  numbers  came  up,  en- 
couraged by  their  leader  they  renewed  the  attack, 
and  in  spite  of  the  most  tremendous  efforts  Walter 
and  his  party  were  driven  back.  By  this  time, 
however,  so  much  damage  had  been  done  to  the 
machine  that  it  would  be  some  hours  before  it  could 
,be  repaired,  even  if  spare  ropes  and  other  appliances 
had  been  brought  with  it  from  Amiens ;  so  that, 


260  S'J"'  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

reenforced  by  the  working  party,  Walter  was  again 
able  to  hold  his  ground,  and  after  repulsing  a  fresh 
onslaught  of  the  enemy  he  gave  the  word  for  his 
men  to  retire  at  full  speed. 

The  French  were  so  surprised  by  the  sudden  dis- 
appearance of  their  foes  that  it  was  a  moment  or 
two  before  they  started  in  pursuit,  and  Walter  and 
his  men  had  gained  some  thirty  3^ards  before  the 
pursuit  reall}^  commenced. 

The  night  was  a  dark  one,  and  they  considerably 
increased  this  advantage  before  they  reached  the 
foot  of  the  wall,  where  the  ropes  were  hanging. 

"Have  each  of  you  found  his  rope?"  Walter 
asked. 

As  soon  as  an  affirmative  answer  was  given  he 
placed  his  foot  in  the  loop  and  shouted  to  the  men 
above  to  draw  up,  and  before  the  enraged  enemy 
could  reach  the  spot  the  whole  party  were  already 
some  yards  above  their  heads.  The  archers  opened 
fire  upon  the  French,  doing,  in  spite  of  the  dark- 
ness, considerable  execution,  for  the  men  had 
snatched  up  their  arms  at  the  sudden  alarm,  and 
had  joined  the  fray  in  such  haste  that  many  of  them 
had  not  had  time  to  put  on  their  steel  caps.  There  was 
noise  and  bustle  ni  the  enemy's  camp,  for  the  whole 
force  were  now  under  arras,  and  in  their  anger  at  the 
sudden  blow  which  had  been  struck  them,  some  bodies 
of  men  even  moved  forward  toward  the  walls  as  if 
they  intended  to  renew  the  assault  of  the  previous 
day  ;  but  the  showers  of  arrows  with  which  they 
were  greeted  cooled  their  ardor,  and  they  presently 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  261 

retired  out  of  reach  of  bow-shot.  There  was  a  res- 
pite now  for  the  besiegers.  ISTo  longer  every  few 
minutes  did  a  heavy  stone  strike  the  walls. 

The  morning's  light  enabled  the  defenders  of  the 
castle  to  see  the  extent  of  the  damage  which  the 
battering  machine  had  effected.  ISTone  too  soon 
had  they  put  a  stop  to  its  work,  for  had  it  continued 
its  operations  another  hour  or  two  would  have  ef- 
fected a  breach. 

Already  large  portions  of  the  wall  facing  it  had 
fallen,  and  other  portions  were  so  seriously  damaged 
that  a  few  more  blows  would  have  leveled  them. 

"•  At  any  rate,"  Walter  said  to  Ralph,  "  we  have 
gained  a  respite  ;  but  even  now  I  fear  that  if  the 
Black  Prince  comes  not  until  to-morrow  he  will 
arrive  too  late." 

The  French,  apparently  as  well  aware  as  the  gar- 
rison of  the  necessity  for  haste,  labored  at  the 
repair  of  the  machine.  Bodies  of  men  started  to 
cut  down  trees  to  supply  the  place  of  the  beams 
w^hich  had  been  rendered  useless.  Scarcely  had  the 
assault  ceased  Avhen  horsemen  were  dispatched  in 
various  directions  to  seek  for  fresh  ropes,  and  by 
dint  of  the  greatest  exertions  the '  machine  was 
placed  in  position  to  renew  its  attack  shortly  after 
noon. 

By  two  o'clock  several  large  portions  of  the 
damaged  wall  had  fallen,  and  the  dehris  formed  a 
slope  by  which  an  assaulting  column  could  rush  to 
the  bridge.  As  soon  as  this  was  manifest  the 
French  force  formed  for  the  assault  and  rushed  for- 
ward in  solid  column. 


262  .    ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

Walter  had  made  the  best  preparation  possible 
for  the  defense.  In  the  courty-ard  behind  the  breach 
his  men  had  since  morning  been  driving  a  circle  of 
piles,  connected  by  planks  fastened  to  them.  These 
were  some  five  feet  high,  and  along  the  top  and  in 
the  face  next  to  the  breach  sharp-pointed  spikes  and 
nails  had  been  driven,  rendering  it  diflBcult  in  the 
extreme  for  any  one  to  climb  over.  As  the  column 
of  the  assailants  approached  Walter  placed  his 
archers  on  the  walls  on  either  side  of  the  breach, 
while  he  himself,  with  his  men-at-arms,  took  his 
station  in  the  gap  and  faced  the  coming  host.  The 
breach  was  some  ten  yards  wide,  but  it  was  only 
for  about  half  this  width  that  the  mxound  of  broken 
stones  rendered  it  possible  for  their  enemies  to  as- 
sault, consequently  there  was  but  a  space  of  some 
fifteen  feet  in  width  to  be  defended.  Regardless  of 
the  flights  of  arrows,  the  French,  headed  by  their 
knights  and  squires,  advanced  to  the  assault,  and 
clambering  up  the  rough  stones  attacked  the  defend- 
ers. 

Walter,  with  Ralph  and  three  of  his  best  men-at- 
arms,  stood  in  the  front  line  and  received  the  first 
shock  of  the  assault.  The  roughness  and  steepness 
of  the  mound  prevented  the  French  from  attacking 
in  regular  order,  and  the  very  eagerness  of  the 
knights  and  squires  who  came  first  in  contact  with 
their  enemies  was  a  hindrance  to  them.  When  the 
columns  were  seen  gathering  for  the  assault  Walter 
had  scattered  several  barrels  full  of  oil  and  tar 
which   he  found  in  the  cellars  over  the  mound  in 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  363 

front  of  the  breach,  rendering  it  greasy  and  slip- 
per}^, and  causing  the  assailants  to  slip  and  stagger 
and  many  to  fall  as  they  pressed  forward  to  the 
assault.  Before  the  fight  commenced  he  had  en- 
couraged his  soldiers  by  recalling  to  them  how  a 
mere  handful  of  men  had  at  Cressy  withstood  for 
hours  the  desperate  efforts  of  the  whole  of  the 
French  army  to  break  through  their  line,  and  all 
were  prepared  to  fight  to  the  death. 

The  struggle  was  a  desperate  one.  Served  by 
their  higher  position,  arid  by  the  difficulties  which 
the  French  encountered  from  the  slipperiness  of 
the  ground  and  their  own  fierce  ardor  to  attack, 
Walter  and  his  little  band  for  a  long  time  resisted 
every  effort.  He  with  his  sword  and  Kalph  with 
his  heavy  mace  did  great  execution,  and  they  were 
nobly  seconded  by  their  men-at-arms.  As  fast  as 
one  fell  another  took  his  place.  The  breach  in  front 
of  them  was  cumbered  with  dead  and  red  with 
blood.  Still  the  French  poured  upward  in  a  wave, 
and  the  sheer  weight  of  their  numbers  and  the  fa- 
tigue caused  by  the  tremendous  exertions  the  de- 
fenders were  making  began  to  tell.  Step  by  step 
the  English  were  driven  back,  and  Walter  saw  that 
the  defense  could  not  much  longer  be  continued. 
He  bade  one  of  his  men-at-arms  at  once  order  the 
archers  to  cease  firing,  and,  leaving  the  walls,  to 
take  refuge  in  the  keep,  and  thence  to  open  fire 
upon  the  French  as  they  poured  through  the 
breach. 

When  he  found  that  this  movement  had  been  ac- 


264  ST.  OEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

complished  Walter  bade  the  men-at-arms  fall  back 
gradually.  A  gap  had  been  left  in  the  wooden 
fence  sufficient  for  one  at  a  time  to  pass,  and 
through  this  the  men-at-arms  retired  one  by  one  to 
the  keep  until  only  Walter  and  five  others  were 
left.  With  these  Walter  flung  himself  suddenly 
upon  the  assailants  and  forced  them  a  few  feet 
down  the  slope.  Then  he  gave  the  word,  and  all 
sprang  back,  and  leaping  down  from  the  wall  into 
the  court-yard  ran  through  the  barrier,  Walter  and 
Ralph  being  the  last  to  pass  as  the  French  with  ex- 
ulting shouts  leaped  down  from  the  breach. 

There  was  another  fierce  fight  at  the  barrier. 
Walter  left  Ralph  to  defend  this  with  a  few  men- 
at-arms  while  he  saw  that  all  was  in  readiness  for 
closing  the  door  rapidly  in  the  keep.  Then  he  ran 
back  again.  He  was  but  just  in  time.  Ralph  in- 
deed could  for  a  long  time  have  held  the  narrow 
passage,  but  the  barriers  themselves  were  yielding. 
The  French  were  pouring  in  through  the  breach, 
and  as  those  behind  could  not  see  the  nature  of  the 
obstacle  which  arrested  the  advance  of  their  com- 
panions the}^  continued  to  push  forward,  and  b}^ 
their  weight  pressed  those  in  front  against  the 
spikes  in  the  barrier.  Many  perished  miserably  oh 
these.  Others,  whose  armor  protected  them  from 
this  fate,  were  crushed  to  death  by  the  pressure  ;  but 
this  was  now  so  great  that  the  timbers  were  yield- 
ing. Walter,  seeing  that  in  another  moment  they 
would  be  leveled,  gave  the  word,  sprang  back  with 
Ralph  and  his  party,  and  entered  the  keep  just  as 


BT.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  265 

with  a  crash  the  barrier  fell  and  the  French  poured 
in  a  crowd  into  the  court-yard.  Bolting  the  door 
the  defenders  of  the  keep  piled  against  it  the  stones 
which  had  been  laid  in  readiness. 

The  door  was  on  the  first  floor,  and  was  ap- 
proached by  a  narrow  flight  of  stone  steps,  up 
which  but  two  abreast  could  advance.  In  their 
first  fury  the  French  poured  up  these  steps,  but 
from  the  loop-holes  which  commanded  it  the  Eng- 
lish bowmen  shot  so  hard  that  their  arrows  pierced 
the  strongest  armor.  Smitten  through  visor  and 
armor,  numbers  of  the  bravest  of  the  assailants 
fell  dead.  Those  who  gained  the  top  of  the  steps 
were  assailed  by  showers  of  boiling  oil  from  an 
upper  cliamber  which  projected  over  the  door,  and 
whose  floor  was  pierced  for  this  purpose,  while 
from  the  top  of  the  keep  showers  of  stones  were 
poured  down.  After  losing  great  numbers  in  this 
desperate  effort  at  assault  the  French  drew  off  for 
awhile,  while  their  leaders  held  council  as  to  the 
best  measures  to  be  taken  for  the  capture  of  the 
keep. 

After  a  time  Walter  from  the  summit  saw  sev- 
eral bodies  of  men  detach  themselves  from  the 
crowd  still  without  the  castle  and  proceed  into  the 
country.  Two  hours  later  they  were  seen  returning 
laden  with  trunks  of  trees.  These  were  dragged 
through  the  breach,  and  were,  in  spite  of  the  efforts 
of  the  archers  and  pf  the  men-at-arms  with  their 
stones,  placed  so  as  to  form  a  sort  of  penthouse 
against  one   side   of  the   keep.     IN'umbers   of  the 


266  ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

soldiers  now  poured  up  with  sacks  and  all  kinds  of 
vessels  which  they  had  gathered  from  the  surround- 
ing villages,  filled  with  earth.  This  was  thrown 
over  the  beams  until  it  filled  all  the  crevices  be- 
tween them  and  formed  a  covering  a  foot  thick,  so 
that  neither  boiling  oil  nor  water  poured  from 
above  could  penetrate  to  injure  those  working  be- 
neath its  shelter.  When  all  was  ready  a  strong 
body  armed  with  picks  and  crowbars  entered  the 
penthouse  and  began  to  labor  to  cut  away  the  wall 
of  the  keep  itself. 

"  Their  commander  knows  his  business,"  Walter 
said,  "  and  the  device  is  an  excellent  one.  We  can 
do  nothing,  and  it  only  depends  upon  the  strength 
of  the  wall  how  long  we  can  hold  out.  The  masonry 
is  by  no  means  good,  and  before  nightfall,  unless 
aid  comes,  there  will  be  naught  for  us  but  death  or 
surrender." 


8T.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND,  267 


CHAPTER  XYI. 


A    PRISONER. 


As  long  as  it  was  light  an  anxious  lookout  was 
kept  from  the  top  of  the  keep  toward  Calais. 
There  was  nothing  to  be  done.  The  besiegers  who 
had  entered  the  walls  were  ensconced  in  the  various 
buildings  in  the  court-yard  or  placed  behind  walls 
so  as  to  be  out  of  arrow-shot  from  above,  and  were 
in  readiness  to  repel  any  sortie  which  might  be 
made  to  interfere  with  the  work  going  on  under  the 
penthouse.  But  no  sortie  was  possible,  for  to  effect 
this  it  would  be  necessary  to  remove  the  stones 
from  the  door,  and  before  this  could  be  accom- 
plished the  besiegers  would  have  rallied  in  over- 
whelming force,  nor  could  a  sortie  have  effected 
an3^thing  beyond  the  slaying  of  the  men  actually 
engaged  in  the  work.  The  beams  of  the  penthouse 
were  too  strong  and  too  heavily  weighted  with 
earth  to  be  removed,  and  the  attempt  would  only 
have  entailed  useless  slaughter.  The  penthouse 
was  about  forty  feet  in  length,  and  the  assailants 
were  piercing  three  openings,  each  of  some  six  feet 
in  width,  leaving  two  strong  supporting  pillars  be- 
tween them.  Anxiousl}'"  the  garrison  within  lis- 
tened to  the  sounds  of  work,  which  became  louder 


268  ST.  OEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

and  louder  as  the  walls  crumbled  before  the  stroke 
of  pickax  and  crowbar. 

"  I  shall  hold  out  until  the  last  moment,"  Walter 
said  to  Ralph,  "  in  hopes  of  relief,  but  before  they 
burst  in  I  shall  sound  a  parley.  To  resist  further 
would  be  a  vain  sacrifice  of  life.'- 

Presently  a  movement  could  be  seen  among  the 
stones,  and  then  almost  simultaneously  two  aper- 
tures appeared.  The  chamber  into  which  the  open- 
ings were  made  was  a  large  one,  being  used  as  the 
common  room  of  the  garrison.  Here  twenty 
archers  and  the  remaining  men-at-arms — of  whom 
nearly  one-half  had  fallen  in  the  defense  of  the 
breach — were  gathered,  and  the  instant  the  orifices 
appeared  the  archers  began  to  send  their  arrows 
through  them.  Then  Walter  ascended  to  another 
chamber,  and  ordered  the  trumpeter  to  sound  a 
parley. 

The  sound  was  repeated  by  the  assailants'  trum- 
peter. 

*'  Who  commands  the  force?"  Walter  asked. 

"  I,  Guy,  Count  of  Evreux." 

"I  am  Sir  Walter  Somers,"  the  young  knight 
continued.     "  I  wish  to  ask  terms  for  the  garrison." 

"  You  must  surrender  unconditionally,"  the  count 
replied  from  the  court-yard.  "  In  ten  minutes  we 
shall  have  completely  pierced  your  walls,  and  you 
will  be  at  our  mercy." 

"  You  may  pierce  our  walls,"  Walter  replied, 
"  but  it  will  cost  you  many  lives  before  you  force 
your  way  in ;  we  will  defend  the  hold  from  floor  to 


ST.  GBOMOE  FOR  ENGLAND,  269 

floor,  and  you  know  how  desperate  men  can  fight. 
It  will  cost  you  scores  of  lives  before  you  win  your 
way  to  the  summit  of  this  keep  ;  but  if  I  have  your 
knightly  word  that  the  lives  of  all  within  these 
walls  shall  be  spared,  then  will  I  open  the  doors 
and  lay  down  our  arms." 

A  consultation  took  place  between  the  leaders 
below.  There  was  truth  in  Walter's  words  that 
very  many  lives  would  be  sacrificed  before  the  re- 
sistance of  so  gallant  a  garrison  could  be  overcome. 
Every  minute  was  of  importance,  for  it  was  possible 
that  at  any  moment  aid  might  arrive  from  Calais, 
and  that  the  table  would  be  turned  upon  the  besieg- 
ers. Therefore,  after  a  short  parley  among  them- 
selves, the  count  replied ; 

"  You  have  fought  as  a  gallant  knight  and  gentle- 
man, Sir  Walter  Somers,  and  have  wrought  griev- 
ous harm  upon  my  leading.  I  should  grieve  that  so 
brave  a  knight  should  lose  his  life  in  a  useless  resist- 
ance. Therefore  I  agree  to  your  terms,  and  swear 
upon  my  knightly  honor  that  upon  your  surrender- 
ing yourselves  prisoners  of  war,  the  lives  of  all 
within  these  walls  shall  be  spared." 

Walter  at  once  gave  the  order.  The  stones  were 
removed  and  the  door  thrown  open,  and  leading  his 
men  Walter  descended  the  steps  into  the  court- 
yard, which  was  now  illuminated  with  torches,  and 
handed  his  sword  to  the  Count  of  Evreux. 

"  You  promised  me,  count,"  a  tall  knight  stand- 
ing by  his  side  said,  "  that  if  he  were  taken  alive, 
the  commander  of  this  castle  should   be  my  pris- 


270  ST.  GEOUGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"  I  did  so,  Sir  Philip  Holbeaut.  When  you  pro- 
posed this  adventure  to  me,  and  offered  to  place 
your  following  at  my  command,  I  agreed  to  the  re- 
quest you  made  me ;  but  mind,"  he  said  sternly, 
"  my  knightly  word  has  been  given  for  his  safety. 
See  that  he  receives  fair  and  gentle  treatment  at 
your  hand.  I  would  not  that  aught  should  befall 
so  brave  a  knight." 

"  I  seek  him  no  harm,"  the  knight  said  angrily  ; 
"  but  I  know  that  he  is  one  of  the  knights  of  the 
Black  Prince's  own  suit,  and  that  his  ransom  will 
be  freely  paid,  and  as  my  coffers  are  low  from  the 
expenses  of  the  war,  I  would  fain  replenish  them  at 
the  expense  of  the  English  prince." 

"  I  said  not  that  I  doubted  you.  Sir  Philip,"  the 
count  said  calmly ;  ''  but  as  the  knight  surrendered 
on  my  word,  it  was  needful  that  I  should  warn  you 
to  treat  him  as  I  myself  should  do  did  he  remain  in 
my  hands,  and  to  give  him  fair  treatment  until  duly 
ransomed." 

"  I  should  be  glad,  count,"  Walter  said,  "  if  you 
will  suffer  me  to  take  with  me  as  companion  in  my 
captivity  this  man-at  arms.  He  is  strongly  attached 
to  me,  and  we  have  gone  through  many  perils  to- 
gether ;  it  will  lighten  my  captivity  to  have  him  by 
my  side." 

"  Surely  I  will  do  so,  Sir  Walter,  and  wish  that 
your  boon  had  been  a  larger  one.  The  rest  I  will 
take  back  wath  me  to  Amiens,  there  to  hold  until 
exchanged  for  some  of  those  who  at  various  times 
have  fallen  into   your  king's  hands.     And  now  to 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  271 

work,  men  ;  lose  not  a  moment  in  stripping  the 
castle  of  all  that  you  choose  to  carry  away,  then 
apply  fire  to  the  storehouses,  granaries,  and  the  hold 
itself.  I  would  not  that  it  remained  standing  to 
serve  as  an  outpost  for  the  English." 

The  horses  were  brought  from  the  stables. 
Walter  and  Ralph  took  their  horses  by  the  bridle, 
and  followed  Sir  Philip  Holbeaut  through  the  now 
open  gates  of  the  castle  to  the  spot  where  the  horses 
of  the  besiegers  were  picketed.  The  knight  and  his 
own  men-at-arms,  who  had  at  the  beginning  of  the 
day  numbered  a  hundred  and  fifty,  but  who  were 
now  scarcely  two-thirds  of  that  strength,  at  once 
mounted  with  their  prisoners,  and  rode  off  from  the 
castle.  A  few  minutes  later  a  glare  of  light  burst 
out  from  behind  them.  The  count's  orders  had 
been  obeyed ;  fire  had  been  appHed  to  the  stores  of 
forage,  and  soon  the  castle  of  Pres  was  wrapped  in 
flames. 

"  I  like  not  our  captor's  manner,"  Ralph  said  to 
Walter  as  they  rode  along  side  by  side. 

"  I  agree  with  you,  Ralph.  I  believe  that  the 
reason  which  he  gave  the  count  for  his  request  was 
not  a  true  one,  though,  indeed,  I  can  see  no  other 
motive  which  he  could  have  for  seeking  to  gain 
possession  of  me.  Sir  Philip,  although  a  valiant 
knight,  bears  but  an  indifferent  reputation.  I  have 
heard  that  he  is  a  cruel  master  to  his  serfs,  and  that 
when  away  fighting  in  Germany  he  behaved  so 
cruelly  to  the  peasantry  that  even  the  Germans, 
who  are  not  nice  in  their  modes  of  warfare,  cried 


272  ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND, 

out  against  him.  It  is  an  evil  fortune  that  has 
thrown  us  into  his  hands ;  still,  although  grasping 
and  avaricious,  he  can  hardly  demand  for  a  simple 
knight  any  inordinate  ransom.  The  French  them- 
selves would  cry  out  did  he  do  so,  seeing  that  so 
large  a  number  of  their  own  knights  are  in  our 
hands,  and  that  the  king  has  ample  powers  of 
retaliation  ;  however,  we  need  not  look  on  the  dark 
side.  It  is  not  likely  that  our  captivity  will  be  a 
long  one,  for  the  prince,  who  is  the  soul  of  gener- 
osity, will  not  haggle  over  terms,  but  will  pay  my 
ransom  as  soon  as  he  hears  into  whose  hands  I  have 
fallen,  while  there  are  scores  of  men-at-arms 
prisoners  whom  he  can  exchange  for  you.  Doubt- 
less Sir  Philip  will  send  you  over  as  soon  as  he 
arrives  at  his  castle,  with  one  of  his  own  followers, 
to  treat  for  my  ransom." 

After  riding  for  some  hours  the  troop  halted  their 
weary  horses  in  a  wood,  and  lighting  tires,  cooked 
their  food,  and  then  lay  down  until  morning.  Sir 
Philip  exchanged  but  few  words  with  his  captive ; 
as,  having  removed  his  helm,  he  sat  by  the  fire, 
Walter  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  his  counte- 
nance. It  did  not  belie  his  reputation.  His  face  had 
a  heavy  and  brutal  expression  which  was  not  de- 
creased by  the  fashion  of  his  hair,  which  was  cut 
quite  short,  and  stood  up  without  parting  all  over  his 
bullet-shaped  head ;  he  had  a  heavy  and  bristling 
mustache  which  was  cut  short  in  a  line  with  his 
lips. 

"  It  is  well,''  Walter  thought  to  himself,  "that  it 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND  273 

is  my  ramsom  rather  than  my  life  which  is  dear  to 
that  evil-looking  knight ;  for,  assuredly,  he  is  not 
one  to  hesitate  did  fortune  throw  a  foe  into  his 
hands." 

At  daybreak  the  march  was  resumed,  and  was 
continued  until  they  reached  the  castle  of  Sir 
Philip  Holbeaut,  which  stood  on  a  narrow  tongue 
of  land  formed  by  a  sharp  bend  of  the  Somme. 

On  entering  the  castle  the  knight  gave  an  order 
to  his  followers,  and  the  prisoners  were  at  once  led 
to  a  narrow  cell  beneath  one  of  the  towers.  Walter 
looked  round  indignantly  when  he  arrived  there. 

"  This  is  a  dungeon  for  a  felon,"  he  exclaimed, 
"not  the  apartment  for  a  knight  who  has  been 
taken  captive  in  fair  fight.  Tell  your  master  that 
he  is  bound  to  award  me  honorable  treatment,  and 
that  unless  he  removes  me  instantly  from  this  dun- 
geon to  a  proper  apartment,  and  treats  me  with  all 
due  respect  and  courtesy,  I  will,  when  I  regain  my 
liberty,  proclaim  him  a  dishonored  knight." 

The  men-at-arms  made  no  reply  ;  but,  locking 
the  door  behind  them,  left  the  prisoners  alone. 

"  What  can  this  mean,  Ealph  ?"  Walter  exclaimed. 
"We  are  in  the  lowest  dungeon,  and  below  the 
level  of  the  river.  See  how  damp  are  the  walls, 
and  the  floor  is  thick  with  slimy  mud.  The  river 
must  run  but  just  below  that  loop-hole,  and  in  times 
of  flood  probably  enters  here." 

Philip  of  Holbeaut,  on  dismounting,  ascended  to 
an  upper  chamber,  where  a  man  in  the  dress  of  a 
well-to-do  citizen  was  sitting. 


274  ST.  GEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"  Well,  Sir  Philip/'  he  exclaimed,  rising  to  his 
feet  as  the  other  entered,  "  what  news  ?" 

"  The  news  is  bad,"  the  knight  growled.  "  This 
famous  scheme  of  yours  has  cost  me  fifty  of  my 
best  men.  I  would  T  had  had  nothing  to  do  with 
it." 

"  But  this  Walter  Somers,"  the  other  exclaimed, 
"  what  of  him  ?  He  has  not  escaped,  surely  !  The 
force  which  marched  from  Amiens  was  large  enough 
to  have  eaten  him  and  his  garrison." 

"  He  has  not  escaped,"  the  knight  replied. 

"  Then  he  is  killed !"  the  other  said  eagerly. 

"  No ;  nor  is  he  killed.  He  is  at  present  a 
prisoner  in  a  dungeon  below,  together  with  a  stout 
knave  whom  he  begged  might  accompany  him  until 
ransomed." 

"  All  is  well,  then,"  the  other  exclaimed.  "  E"ever 
mind  the  loss  of  your  men.  The  money  which  I 
have  promised  you-  for  this  business  will  hire  you 
two  hundred  such  knaves ;  but  why  didst  not  knock 
him  on  the  head  at  once  ?" 

^'  It  was  not  so  easy  to  knock  him  on  the  head," 
Sir  Philip  growled.  *'It  cost  us  five  hundred  men 
to  capture  the  outer  walls,  and  to  have  fought  our 
way  into  the  keep,  held  as  it  was  by  men  who 
would  have  contested  every  foot  of  the  ground, 
was  not  a  job  for  which  any  of  us  had  much 
stomach,  seeing  what  the  first  assaults  had  cost  us  ; 
so  the  count  took  them  all  to  quarter.  The  rest  he 
carried  with  him  to  Amiens;  but  their  leader,  ac- 
cording   to   the  promise  which   he   made  me,  he 


ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  275 

handed  over  to  me  as  my  share  of  the  day's  booty, 
giving  me  every  charge  that  he  should  receive  good 
and  knightly  treatment." 

"  Which,  no  doubt,  you  will  observe,"  the  other 
said,  with  an  ugly  laugh. 

''  It  is  a  bad  business,"  the  knight  exclaimed  an- 
grily, "  and  were  it  not  for  our  friendship  in  Spain, 
and  the  memory  of  sundry  deeds  which  we  did  to- 
gether, not  without  profit  to  our  purses,  I  would 
rather  that  you  were  thrown  over  the  battlements 
into  the  river  than  I  had  taken  a  step  in  this  busi- 
ness. However,  none  can  say  that  Philip  of  Hol- 
beaut  ever  deserted  a  friend  who  had  proved  true 
to  him,  not  to  mention  that  the  sum  which  you 
promised  me  for  my  aid  in  this  matter  will,  at  the 
present  time,  prove  wondrously  convenient.  Yet  I 
foresee  that  it  will  bring  me  into  trouble  with  the 
Count  of  Evreux.  Ere  many  days  a  demand  will 
come  for  the  fellow  to  be  delivered  on  ransom." 

"  And  what  will  you  say  ?"  the  other  asked. 

"  I  shall  say  what  is  the  truth,"  the  knight  re- 
plied, "  though  I  may  add  something  that  is  not 
wholly  so.  I  shall  say  that  he  was  drowned  in  the 
Somme.  I  shall  add  that  it  happened  as  he  was 
trying  to  make  his  escape,  contrary  to  the  parole 
he  had  given  ;  but  in  truth  he  will  be  drowned  in 
the  dungeon  in  which  I  have  placed  him,  which  has 
rid  me  of  many  a  troublesome  prisoner  before  now. 
The  river  is  at  ordinary  times  but  two  feet  below 
the  loop-hole  ;  and  when  its  tide  is  swelled  by  rain  it 
often  rises  above  the  sill,  and  then  there  is  an  end 


276  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

of  any  one  within.  They  can  doubt  my  word  ;  but 
there  are  not  many  who  would  care  to  do  so  openly  ; 
none  who  would  do  so  for  the  sake  of  an  unknown 
English  knight.  And  as  for  any  complaints  on  the 
part  of  the  Black  Prince,  King  Philip  has  shown 
over  and  over  again  how  little  the  complaints  of 
Edward  himself  move  him." 

'•  It  were  almost  better  to  knock  him  on  the  head 
at  once,'^  the  other  said  thoughtfully  ;  "  the  fellow 
has  as  many  lives  as  a  cat." 

"  If  he  had  as  many  as  nine  cats,"  the  knight  re- 
plied, "  it  would  not  avail  him.  But  I  will  have  no 
violence.  The  water  will  do  your  work  as  well  as 
a  poniard,  and  I  will  not  have  it  said,  even  among 
such  ruffians  as  mine,  that  I  slew  a  captured  knight. 
^  The  other  will  pass  as  an  accident,  and  I  care  not 
what  my  men  may  think  as  long  as  they  can  say 
nothing  for  a  surety.  The  count  may  storm  as 
much  as  he  will,  and  may  even  lay  a  complaint 
against  me  before  the  king  ;  but  in  times  like  the 
present,  even  a  simple  knight  who  can  lead  two 
hundred  good  fighting  men  into  the  field  is  not  to 
be  despised,  and  the  king  is  likely  to  be  easily  satis- 
fied with  my  replies  to  any  question  that  may  be 
raised.  Indeed,  it  would  seem  contrary  to  reason 
that  I  should  slay  a  captive  against  whom  I  have  no 
cause  of  quarrel,  and  so  forfeit  the  ransom  which  I 
should  get  for  him." 

"  But  suppose  that  a  messenger  should  come  offer- 
ing ransom  before  the  river  happens  to  rise  ?" 

"  Then  I  shall  anticipate  matters,  and  shall  say 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  277 

that  what  I  know  will  happen  has  already  taken 
place.  Do  not  be  uneasy,  Sir  James.  You  have 
my  word  in  the  matter,  and  now  I  have  gone  so  far, 
1  shall  carry  it  through.  From  the  moment  when 
I  ordered  him  into  that  dungeon  his  fate  was  sealed, 
and  in  truth,  when  I  gave  the  order  I  did  so  to  put 
an  end  to  the  indecision  in  which  my  mind  had  been 
all  night.  Once  in  there  he  could  not  be  allowed 
to  come  out  alive,  for  his  report  of  such  treatment 
would  do  me  more  harm  among  those  of  my  own 
station  in  France  than  any  rumors  touching  his  end 
could  do.  It  is  no  uncommon  affair  for  one  to  re^ 
move  an  enemy  from  one's  path  ;  but  cruelty  to  a 
knightly  prisoner  would  be  regarded  with  horror. 
Would  you  like  to  have  a  look  at  him  ?" 

The  other  hesitated.  "No,"  he  replied.  "  Against 
him  personally  I  have  no  great  grudge.  He  has 
thwarted  my  plans,  and  stands  now  grievously  in 
the  way  of  my  making  fresh  ones ;  but  as  he  did  so 
from  no  ill-will  toward  myself,  but  as  it  were  by 
hazard,  I  have  no  personal  hatred  toward  him, 
though  I  would  fain  remove  him  from  my  path. 
Besides,  I  tell  you  fairly,  that  even  in  that  dungeon 
where  you  have  thrown  him  I  shall  not  feel  that  he 
is  safe  until  you  send  me  word  that  he  is  dead.  He 
has  twice  already  got  out  of  scrapes  when  other 
men  would  have  been  killed.  Both  at  Yannes  and 
at  Ghent  he  escaped  in  a  marvelous  way ;  and  but 
a  few  weeks  since,  by  the  accident  of  his  having  a 
coat  of  mail  under  his  doublet  he  saved  his  life 
from  as  fair  a  blow  ^s  ever  was  struck.     Therefore 


278  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

I  would  not  that  he  knew  aught  of  my  having  a 
hand  in  this  matter,  for  if  after  having  seen  me  he 
made  his  escape  I  could  never  show  my  face  in 
England  again.  I  should  advise  you  to  bid  three  or 
four  men  always  enter  his  cell  together,  for  he  and 
that  man-afc-arras  who  follows  him  like  a  shadow 
are  capable  of  playing  any  desperate  trick  to  es- 
cape." 

"  That  matter  is  easily  enough  managed,"  Sir 
Philip  said  grimly,  ''  by  no  one  entering  the  dun- 
geon at  all.  The  river  may  be  slow  of  rising,  though 
in  sooth  the  sky  looks  overcast  now,  and  it  is 
already  at  its  usual  winter  level ;  and  whether  he 
dies  from  lack  of  water  or  from  a  too  abundant 
supply  matters  but  little  to  me ;  only,  as  I  told  you, 
I  will  give  no  orders  for  him  to  be  killed.  Dost  re- 
member that  Jew  we  carried  off  from  Seville  and 
kept  without  water  until  he  agreed  to  pay  us  a  ran- 
som which  made  us  both  rich  for  six  months  ?  That 
was  a  rare  haul,  and  I  would  that  rich  Jews  were 
plentiful  in  this  country." 

"  Yes,  those  were  good  times,"  the  other  said, 
"  although  I  own  that  I  have  not  done  badly  since  the 
war  began,  having  taken  a  count  and  three  knights 
prisoners,  and  put  them  to  ransom,  and  having 
reaped  a  goodly  share  of  plunder  from  your  French 
burghers,  else  indeed  I  could  not  have  offered  you 
so  round  a  sum  to  settle  this  little  matter  for  me. 
There  are  not  many  French  knights  who  have 
earned  a  count's  ransom  in  the  present  war.  And 
:p.ow  I  will  take  horse ;  here  is  one-half  of  the  sum. 


ST.  OEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND.  279 

I  promised  you,  in  gold  nobles.  I  will  send  you  the 
remainder  on  the  day  when  1  get  news  from  you 
that  the  matter  is  finished." 

"  Have  your  money  ready  in  a  week's  time,"  the 
knight  replied,  taking  the  bag  of  gold  which  the 
other  placed  on  the  table,  "  for  by  that  time  you 
will  hear  from  me.  I  hope  this  will  not  be  the  last 
business  which  we  may  do  together ;  there  ought 
to  be  plenty  of  good  chances  in  a  war  like  this. 
Any  time  that  you  can  send  me  word  of  an  in- 
tended foray  by  a  small  party  under  a  commander 
whose  ransom  would  be  a  high  one  I  will  share 
what  I  get  with  you ;  and  similarly  I  will  let  you 
know  of  any  rich  prize  who  may  be  pounced  upon 
on  the  same  terms." 

"  Agreed  !"  the  other  said.  "  We  may  do  a  good 
business  together  in  that  way.  But  you  lie  too  far 
away.  If  you  move  up  as  near  as  you  can  to  Calais 
and  let  me  know  your  whereabout,  so  that  I  could 
send  or  ride  to  you  in  a  few  hours,  we  might  work 
together  with  no  small  profit." 

"  I  will  take  the  field  as  soon  as  this  affair  of 
yours  is  settled,"  the  knight  replied;  ^' and  the 
messenger  who  brings  you  the  news  shall  tell  you 
where  I  may  be  found.  And  now,  while  your  horse 
is  being  got  ready,  let  us  drink  a  stoop  of  wine  to- 
gether in  memory  of  old  times,  though,  for  myself, 
these  wines  of  ours  are  poor  and  insipid  beside  the 
fiery  juice  of  Spain." 

While  this  conversation,  upon  which  their  fate  so 
much  dependetl,  had   been  going  on,  Walter  and 


280  ST.  GEORGE  EOU  ENGLAND. 

Ralph   bad  been  discussing  the  situation,  and  had 
arrived  at  a  tolerably  correct  conclusion. 

"  This  conduct  on  the  part  of  this  brutal  French 
knight,  Ralph,  is  so  strange  that  methinlvs  it  cannot 
be  the  mere  outcome  of  his  passions  or  of  hate 
against  me  as  an  Englishman,  but  of  some  deeper 
motive ;  and  we  were  right  in  thinking  that  in 
bargaining  for  my  person  with  the  Count  of  Evreux 
it  was  more  than  my  ransom  which  he  sought. 
Had  that  been  his  only  object  he  would  never  have 
thrown  us  into  this  noisome  dungeon,  for  my  report 
of  such  treatment  would  bring  dishonor  upon  him 
in  the  eyes  of  every  knight  and  noble  in  France  as 
well  as  in  England.  It  must  be  my  life  he  aims  at, 
although  what  grudge  he  can  have  against  me  it 
passes  me  to  imagine.  It  may  be  that  at  Cressy  or 
elsewhere  some  dear  relative  of  his  may  have  fallen 
by  my  sword ;  and  yet  were  it  so,  men  nourish  no 
grudge  for  the  death  of  those  killed  in  fair  fight. 
But  this  boots  not  at  present.  It  is  enough  for  us 
that  it  is  ray  life  which  he  aims  at,  and  I  fear, 
Ralph,  that  yours  must  be  included  with  mine,  since 
he  would  never  let  a  witness  escape  to  carry  the 
foul  tale  against  him.  This  being  so,  the  agree- 
ment on  which  I  surrendered  is  broken,  and  I  am  free 
to  make  my  escape  if  I  can,  and  methinks  the 
sooner  that  be  attempted  the  better.  So  let  us  to 
work  to  plan  how  we  may  best  get  out  of  this  place. 
After  our  escape  from  that  well  at  Yannes  we  need 
not  despair  about  breaking  out  from  this  dungeon 
of  Holbeaut." 


ST.  GEOnOE  FOR  ENGLAND.  281 

"  We  might  overpower  the  guard  who  brings  our 
food,"  Kalph  said. 

"  There  is  that  chance,"  Walter  rejoined,  "  but  I 
think  it  is  a  poor  one.  They  may  be  sure  that  this 
dishonorable  treatment  will  have  rendered  us  des- 
perate, and  they  will  take  every  precaution  and 
come  well  armed.  It  may  be,  too,  that  they  will 
not  come  at  all,  but  that  they  intend  us  to  die  of 
starvation,  or  perchance  to  be  drowned  by  the 
floods,  which  it  is  easy  to  see  often  make  their  way 
in  here.  ISTo,  our  escape,  if  escape  there  be,  must 
be  made  through  that  loop-hole  above.  Were  that 
bar  removed  methinks  it  is  wide  enough  for  us  to 
squeeze  through.  Doubtless  such  a  hazard  has  not 
occurred  to  them,  seeing  that  it  is  nigh  twelve  feet 
above  the  floor  and  that  a  single  man  could  by  no 
possibility  reach  it,  but  with  two  of  us  there  is  no 
difficulty.  Now,  Ealph,  do  you  stand  against  the 
wall.  I  will  climb  upon  your  shoulders  and  stand- 
ing there  can  reach  the  bar  and  so  haul  myself  up 
and  look  out." 

This  was  soon  done,  and  Walter,  seizing  the  bar, 
hauled  himself  up  so  that  he  could  see  through  the 
loop-hole. 

"  It  is  as  I  thought,"  he  said.  "  The  waters  of 
the  Somme  are  but  a  foot  below  the  level  of  this 
window ;  the  river  is  yellow  and  swollen,  and  a  few 
hours'  heavy  rain  would  bring  it  above  the  level  of 
this  sill.  Stand  steady,  Ralph,  I  am  coming  down 
again." 

When  he  reached  the  ground  he  said  : 


2S%  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"  Take  off  your  belt,  Kalph ;  if  we  buckle  that  and 
mine  together,  passing  it  round  the  bar,  it  will  make 
a  loop  upon  which  we  can  stand  at  the  window  and 
see  how  best  we  can  loosen  the  bar.  Constantly 
wet  as  it  is,  it  is  likely  that  the  mortar  will  have 
softened,  in  which  case  we  shall  have  little  difficulty 
in  working  it  out." 

The  plan  was  at  once  put  into  execution;  the 
belts  were  fastened  together,  and  Walter  standing 
on  Kalph's  shoulders  passed  one  end  around  the  bar 
and  buckled  it  to  the  other,  thus  making  a  loop 
some  three  feet  in  length  ;  putting  a  foot  in  this  he 
was  able  to  stand  easily  at  the  loop-hole. 

"  It  is  put  in  with  mortar  at  the  top,  Ealph,  and 
the  mortar  has  rotted  with  the  wet,  but  at  the 
bottom  lead  was  poured  in  w^hen  the  bar  was  set 
and  this  must  be  scooped  out  before  it  can  be 
moved.  Fortanatel}''  the  knight  gave  no  orders  to 
his  men  to  remove  our  daggers  when  we  w^ere 
thrust  in  here,  and  these  will  speedily  dig  out  the 
lead ;  but  I  must  come  down  first,  for  the  strap  pre- 
vents my  working  at  the  foot  of  the  bar.  We  must 
tear  off  a  strip  of  our  clothing  and  make  a  shift  to 
fasten  the  strap  half-way  up  the  bar  so  as  not  to 
slip  down  with  our  weight." 

In  order  to  accompHsh  this  Walter  had  to  stand 
upon  Kalph's  head  to  gain  additional  height.  He 
presently,  after  several  attempts,  succeeded  in  fixing 
the  strap  firmly  against  the  bar  half-way  up,  and 
then  placing  one  knee  in  the  loop  and  putting  an  arm 
through  the  bar  to  steady  himself,  he  set  to  work 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  283 

at  the  lead.  The  sharp  point  of  the  dagger  quickly 
cut  out  that  near  the  surface,  but  further  down  the 
hole  narrowed  and  the  task  was  much  more  diffi- 
cult. Several  times  Kalph  relieved  him  at  the  work, 
but  at  last  it  was  accomplished,  and  the  bar  was 
found  to  move  slightly  when  they  shook  it.  There 
now  remained  only  to  loosen  the  cement  above,  and 
this  was  a  comparatively  easy  task  ;  it  crumbled 
quickly  before  the  points  of  their  daggers,  and  the 
bar  was  soon  free  to  move. 

"  Now,"  Walter  said,  "  we  have  to  find  out 
whether  the  bar  was  first  put  in  from  below  or  from 
above ;  one  hole  or  the  other  must  be  a  good  deal 
deeper  than  the  iron,  so  that  it  was  either  shoved 
up  or  pushed  down  until  the  other  end  could  get 
under  or  over  the  other  hole.  I  should  think  most 
likely  the  hole  is  below,  as  if  they  held  up  the  bar 
against  the  top,  when  the  lead  was  poured  in  it 
would  fill  up  the  space  ;  so  we  will  first  of  all  try  to 
lift  it.  I  must  stand  on  your  head  again  to  enable 
me  to  be  high  enough  to  try  this." 

"  My  head  is  strong  enough,  I  warrant,"  Ralph 
replied,  "  but  I  will  fold  up  my  jerkin,  and  put  on  it, 
for  in  truth  you  hurt  me  somewhat  when  you  were 
tying  the  strap  to  the  bar." 

All  Walter's  efforts  did  not  succeed  in  raising  the 
bar  in  the  slightest,  and  he  therefore  concluded  that 
it  had  been  inserted  here  and  lifted  while  the  space 
was  filled  with  lead.  "  It  is  best  so,"  he  said ;  ''  we 
should  have  to  cut  away  the  stone  either  above  or 
below,  and  can  work  much  better  below.     I^ow  I 


284  ST.  OEORGE  FOR  ENQLAND, 

will  put  my  knee  in  the  strap  again  and  set  to  work. 
The  stone  seems  greatly  softened  by  the  wet,  and 
will  yield  to  our  daggers  readily  enough.  It  is 
already  getting  dark,  and  as  soon  as  we  have 
finished  we  can  start." 

As  Walter  had  discovered,  the  stone  was  rotten 
with  the  action  of  the  weather,  and  although  as 
they  got  deeper  it  became  much  harder,  it  yielded 
to  the  constant  chipping  with  their  daggers,  and  in 
two  hours  Kalph,  who  at  the  moment  happened  to 
be  engaged,  announced  to  Walter  that  his  dagger 
found  its  way  under  the  bottom  of  the  bar.  The 
groove  was  soon  made  deep  enough  for  the  bar  to 
be  moved  out ;  but  another  hour's  work  was 
necessary,  somewhat  further  to  enlarge  the  upper 
hole,  so  as  to  allow  the  bar  to  have  sufficient  play. 
Fortunately  it  was  only  inserted  about  an  inch  and 
a  half  in  the  stone,  and  the  amount  to  be  cut  away 
to  give  it  sufficient  pla}^  was  therefore  not  large. 
Then  at  last  all  was  ready  for  their  flight. 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  285 


CHAPTEE  XYII. 


THE   OAPTTJRE    OF    CALAIS. 


When  the  bar  was  once  ready  for  removal  the 
captives  delayed  not  a  minute,  for  although  it  was 
now  so  late  that  there  was  little  chance  of  a  visit 
being  paid  them,  it  was  just  possible  that  such  might 
be  the  case,  and  that  it  might  occur  to  the  knight 
that  it  would  be  safer  to  separate  them. 

"  Now,  Kalph,  do  you  go  first,  since  I  am  lighter 
and  can  climb  up  by  means  of  the  strap,  which  you 
can  hold  from  above ;  push  the  bar  out  and.  lay  it 
down  quietly  in  the  thickness  of  the  wall.  A  splash 
might  attract  the  attention  of  the  sentries,  though  I 
doubt  whether  it  would,  for  the  wind  is  high  and 
the  rain  falling  fast.  Unbuckle  the  strap  before 
you  move  the  bar,  as  otherwise  it  might  fall  and  I 
should  have  difiiculty  in  handing  it  to  you  again. 
Kow,  I  am  steady  against  the  wall." 

Kalph  seized  the  bar  and  with  a  great  effort 
pushed  the  bottom  from  him.  It  moved  through  the 
groove  without  much  difficult}^,  but  it  needed  a  great 
wrench  to  free  the  upper  end.  However,  it  was 
done,  and  laying  it  quietly  down  he  pulled  himself 
up   and  thrust   himself  through  the   loop-hole.     It 


286  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

was  a  desperate  struggle  to  get  through,  for  it 
was  only  just  wide  enough  for  his  head  to  pass,  and 
he  was  so  squarely  built  that  his  body  with  difficulty 
followed.  The  wall  was  four  feet  wide,  and  as  the 
loophole  widened  considerably  without,  there  was, 
when  he  had  once  passed  through  from  the  inside, 
space  enough  for  him  to  kneel  dowi^  and  lower  one 
end  of  the  strap  to  Walter.  The  latter  speedily 
climbed  up,  and  getting  through  the  slit  with  much 
less  trouble  than  Kalph  had  experienced — for  al- 
though in  height  and  width  of  shoulder  he  was  his 
equal,  he  was  less  in  depth  than  his  follower — he 
joined  him  in  the  opening,  Ralph  sitting  with 
his  feet  in  the  water  in  order  to  make  room  for 
him. 

The  dungeon  was  upon  the  western  side  of  the 
castle,  and  consequently  the  stream  would  be  with 
them  in  making  for  shore.  It  was  pitch-dark,  but 
they  knew  that  the  distance  they  would  have  to 
swim  could  not  exceed  forty  or  fifty  yards. 

"Keep  along  close  by  the  wall,  Ralph.  If  we 
once  get  out  in  the  stream  we  might  lose  our  way ; 
we  will  skirt  the  wall  until  it  ends,  then  there  is  a 
cut,  for  as  you  saw  when  we  entered,  the  moat  runs 
right  across  this  neck.  If  we  keep  a  bit  further 
down  and  then  land  we  shall  be  fairly  beyond  the 
outworks." 

Ralph  slipped  down  into  the  water,  and  followed 
by  Walter  swam  along  at  the  foot  of  the  wall. 
They  had  already  been  deprived  of  their  armor, 
but  had  luckily  contrived  to  retain  their  daggers  in 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  287 

their  belts,  which  they  had  again  girdled  on  before 
entering  the  water.  The  stream  hurried  them 
rapidly  along,  and  they  had  only  to  keep  them- 
selves afloat.  They  were  soon  at  the  corner  of  the 
castle.  A  few  strokes  further  and  they  again  felt 
the  wall  which  lined  the  moat.  The  stream  still 
swept  them  along,  they  felt  the  masonry  come  to 
an  end,  and  bushes  and  shrubs  lined  the  bank. 
They  were  beyond  the  outer  defenses  of  the  castle. 
Still  a  little  further  they  proceeded  down  the 
stream  in  order  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  any 
noise  they  might  make  in  scrambling  up  being 
heard  by  the  sentinels  on  the  outer  postern.  Then 
when  they  felt  quite  safe  they  grasped  the  bushes, 
and  speedily  climbed  the  bank.  Looking  back  at 
the  castle  they  saw  lights  still  burning  there. 
Short  as  was  the  time  they  had  been  in  the  water 
they  were  both  chilled  to  the  bone,  for  it  was  the 
month  of  February,  and  the  water  was  bitterly 
cold. 

"It  cannot  be  more  than  nine  o'clock  now," 
Walter  said,  "  for  it  is  not  more  than  four  hours 
since  darkness  fell.  They  are  not  likely  to  visit  the 
dungeon  before  eight  or  nine  to-morrow,  so  we  can 
rely  upon  twelve  hours'  start,  and  if  we  make  the 
best  of  our  time  we  ought  to  be  far  on  our  way  by 
then,  though  in  truth  it  is  not  fast  traveling  on  a 
night  like  this  through  a  strange  country.  I  would 
that  the  stars  were  shining.  However,  the  direc- 
tion of  the  wind  and  rain  will  be  a  guide  to  us,  and 
we  shall  soon  strike  the  road  we  traveled  yesterday, 
and  can  follow  that  till  morning." 


288  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

They  were  not  long  before  they  found  the  track, 
and  then  started  at  a  brisk  pace  along  it.  All  night 
they  struggled  on  through  wind  and  rain  until  the 
first  dawn  enabled  them  to  see  the  objects  in  the 
surrounding  country ;  and  making  for  the  forest 
which  extended  to  within '  a  mile  of  the  road,  they 
entered  deep  into  its  shelter,  and  there,  utterly  ex- 
hausted, threw  themselves  down  on  the  wet  ground. 
After  a  few  hours  of  uneasy  sleep  they  woke,  and 
taking  their  place  near  the  edge  of  the  forest 
watched  for  the  passage  of  any  party  which  might 
be  in  pursuit,  but  until  nightfall  none  came  along. 

"  They  have  not  discovered  our  flight,"  Ealph 
said  at  last,  "  or  they  would  have  passed  long  be- 
fore this.  Sir  Philip  doubtless  imagines  that  we 
are  drowned.  The  water  was  within  a  few  inches 
of  the  sill  when  we  started,  and  must  soon  have 
flooded  the  dungeon  ;  and  did  he  trouble  to  look  in 
the  morning,  which  is  unlikely  enough  seeing  that 
he  would  be  sure  of  our  fate,  he  would  be  unable  to 
descend  the  stairs,  and  could  not  reach  to  the  door, 
and  so  discover  that  the  bar  had  been  removed. 
]^o  ;  whatever  his  motive  may  have  been  in  com- 
passing my  death,  he  is  doubtless  satisfied  that  he 
has  attained  it,  and  we, need  have  no  further  fear  of 
pursuit  from  him.  The  rain  has  ceased,  and  I  think 
that  it  will  be  a  fine  night ;  we  will  walk  on,  and  if 
we  come  across  a  barn  will  make  free  to  enter  it, 
and  stripping  off  our  clothing  to  dry,  will  sleep  in 
the  hay,  and  pursue  our  journey  in  the  n^orning. 
From  our  travel-stained  appearance   any  who  ma}^ 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  289 

meet  us  will  take  us  for  two  wayfarers  going  to  take 
service  in  the  army  at  Amiens»" 

It  was  not  until  nearly  midnight  that  they  came 
upon  such  a  place  as  they  sought,  then  after  pass- 
ing a  little  village  they  found  ashed  standing  apart. 
Entering  it  they  found  that  it  was  tenanted  by  two 
cows.  Groping  about  they  presently  came  upon  a 
heap  of  forage,  and  taking  off  their  outer  garments 
lay  down  on  this,  covering  themselves  thickly  with 
it.  The  shed  was  warm  and  comfortable  and  they 
were  soon  asleep,  and  awaking  at  daybreak  they 
found  that  their  clothes  had  dried  somewhat.  The 
sun  was  not  yet  up  when  they  started,  but  it  soon 
rose,  and  ere  noon  their  garments  had  dried,  and 
they  felt  for  the  first  time  comfortable.  They  met 
but  few  people  on  the  road,  and  these  passed  them 
with  the  ordinary  salutations. 

They  had  by  this  time  left  Amiens  on  the  right, 
and  by  nightfall  were  well  on  their  way  toward 
Calais.  Early  in  the  morning  they  had  purchased 
some  bread  at  a  village  through  which  they  passed  ; 
Walter's  E'orman-French  being  easily  understood, 
and  exciting  no  surprise  or  suspicion.  At  nightfall 
they  slept  in  a  shed  within  a  mile  of  the  ruins  of  the 
castle  of  Pres,  and  late  next  evening  entered  the 
English  encampment  at  ]^ew  Town.  After  going 
to  his  tent,  where  he  and  Kalph  changed  their  gar- 
ments and  partook  of  a  hearty  meal,  Walter  pro- 
ceeded to  the  pavilion  of  the  prince,  who  hailed  his 
entrance  with  the  greatest  surprise. 

"  Why,  Sir  Walter,"  he  exclaimed,  "  what  good 


390  ^T.  OEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

saint  has  brought  you  here  ?  I  have  but  an  hour 
since  received  a  message  from  the  Count  of  Evreux 
to  the  effect  that  you  were  a  prisoner  in  the  hands 
of  Sir  Philip  de  Holbeaut,  with  whom  I  must  treat 
for  your  ransom.  I  was  purporting  to  send  off  a 
herald  to-morrow  to  ask  at  what  sum  he  held  you ; 
and  now  you  appear  in  flesh  and  blood  before  us ! 
But  first,  before  you  tell  us  your  story,  I  must  con- 
gratulate you  on  your  gallant  defense  of  the  Castle 
of  Pres,  which  is  accounted  by  all  as  one  of  the 
most  valiant  deeds  of  the  war.  When  two  days 
passed  without  a  messenger  from  you  coming 
hither,  I  feared  that  you  were  beleaguered,  and 
started  that  evening  with  six  hundred  men-at-arms. 
We  arrived  at  daybreak,  to  find  only  a  smoking 
ruin.  Luckily  among  the  crowd  of  dead  upon  the 
breach  we  found  one  of  your  men-at-arms  who  still 
breathed,  and  after  some  cordial  had  been  given 
him,  and  his  wounds  stanched,  he  was  able  to  tell 
us  the  story  of  the  siege.  But  it  needed  not  his  tale 
to  tell  us  how  stanchly  you  had  defended  the 
castle,  for  the  hundreds  of  dead  who  lay  outside  of 
the  walls,  and  still  more  the  mass  who  piled  the 
breach,  and  the  many  who  lay  in  the  castle  yard 
spoke  for  themselves  of  the  valor  with  which  the 
castle  had  been  defended.  As  the  keep  was  gutted 
by  fire,  and  the  man  could  tell  us  naught  of  what 
had  happened  after  he  had  been  stricken  down  at 
the  breach,  we  knew  not  whether  you  and  your 
brave  garrison  had  perished  in  the  flames.  We  saw 
the  penthouse  beneath  ^hich  they  had  labored  to 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  291 

cut  through  the  wall,  but  the  work  had  ceased  be- 
fore the  holes  were  large  enough  for  entry,  and  we 
hoped  that  you  might  have  seen  that  further  resist- 
ance was  in  vain,  and  have  made  terms  for  your 
lives;  indeed  we  heard  from  the  country  people 
that  certain  prisoners  had  been  taken  to  Amiens. 
I  rested  one  day  at  Pres,  and  the  next  rode  back 
here,  and  forth v/ith  dispatched  a  herald  to  the 
Count  of  Evreux  at  Amiens  asking  for  news  of  the 
garrison;  but  now  he  has  returned  with  word  that 
twenty-four  men-at-arms  and  fifty-eight  archers  are 
prisoners  in  the  count's  hands,  and  that  he  is  ready 
to  exchange  them  against  an  equal  number  of 
French  prisoners ;  but  that  you,  with  a  man-at- 
arms,  were  in  the  keeping  of  Sir  Philip  of  Holbeaut, 
with  whom  I  must  treat  for  your  ransom.  And 
now  tell  me  how  it  is  that  I  see  you  here.  Has 
your  captor,  confiding  in  your  knightly  word  to 
send  him  the  sum  agreed  upon,  allowed  you  to  re- 
turn ?  Tell  me  the  sum  and  my  treasurer  shall  to- 
morrow pay  it  over  to  a  herald,  who  shall  carry  it 
to  Holbeaut." 

"  Thanks,  your  royal  highness,  for  your  gener- 
osity," Walter  replied,  "  but  there  is  no  ransom  to 
be  paid." 

And  he  then  proceeded  to  narrate  the  incidents  of 
his  captivity  at  Holbeaut  and  his  escape  from  the 
castle.  His  narration  was  frequently  interrupted 
by  exclamations  of  surprise  and  indignation  from 
the  prince  and  the  knights  present. 

""Well,    this    well-nigh    passes    all   belief,"   the 


292  ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

prince  exclaimed  when  he  had  concluded.  "  It  is 
an  outrage  upon  all  laws  of  chivalry  and  honor. 
What  could  have  induced  this  caitiff  knight,  instead 
of  treating  you  with  courtesy  and  honor  until  your 
ransom  arrived,  to  lodge  you  in  a  foul  dungeon, 
where,  had  you  not  made  your  escape,  your  death 
would  have  been  brought  about  that  very  night  by 
the  rising  water  ?  Could  it  be,  think  you,  that  his 
brain  is  distraught  by  some  loss  or  injury  which 
may  have  befallen  him  at  our  hands  during  the 
war  and  worked  him  up  to  a  blind  passion  of  hatred 
against  all  Englishmen  V 

"  I  think  not  that,  your  royal  highness,"  Walter 
replied.  "  His  manner  was  cool  and  deliberate,  and 
altogether  free  from  any  signs  of  madness.  More- 
over, it  would  seem  that  he  had  specially  marked 
me  down  beforehand,  since,  as  I  have  told  you,  he 
had  bargained  with  the  Count  of  Evreux  for  the 
possession  of  my  person  should  I  escape  with  life  at 
the  capture  of  the  castle.  It  seems  rather  as  if  he 
must  have  had  some  private  enmity  against  me, 
although  what  the  cause  may  be  I  cannot  imagine, 
seeing  that  I  have  never,  to  my  knowledge,  before 
met  him,  and  have  only  heard  his  name  by  common 
report." 

"  Whatever  be  the  cause,"  the  prince  said,  "  we 
will  have  satisfaction  for  it,  and  I  will  beg  the  king, 
my  father,  to  write  at  once  to  Philip  of  Yalois  pro- 
testing against  the  treatment  that  you  have  re- 
ceived, and  denouncing  Sir  Philip  of  Holbeaut  as  a 
base  and  dishonored  knio-ht,  whom,  should  he  fall 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  ^9^ 

into  our  hands,  we  will  commit  at  once  to  the  hang- 
man." 

Upon  the  following  day  Walter  was  called  before 
the  king,  and  related  to  him  in  full  the  incidents  of 
the  siege  and  of  his  captivity  and  escape  ;  and  the 
same  day  King  Edward  sent  off  a  letter  to  Philip  of 
Yalois  denouncing  Sir  Philip  Holbeaut  as  a  dis- 
honored knight,  and  threatening  retaliation  upon 
the  French  prisoners  in  his  hands. 

A  fortnight  later  an  answer  was  received  from 
the  King  of  France  saying  that  he  had  inquired 
into  the  matter,  and  had  sent  a  seneschal,  who  had 
questioned  Sir  Philip  Holbeaut  and  some  of  the 
men-at-arms  in  the  castle,  and  that  he  found  that 
King  Edward  had  been  grossly  imposed  upon  by  a 
fictitious  tale.  Sir  Walter  Somers  had,  he  found,  been 
treated  with  all  knightly  courtesy,  and  believing 
him  to  be  an  honorable  knight  and  true  to  his  word, 
but  slight  watch  had  been  kept  over  him.  He  had 
basely  taken  advantage  of  this  trust,  and  with  the 
man-at-arms  with  him  had  escaped  from  the  castle 
in  order  to  avoid  payment  of  his  ransom,  and  had 
now  invented  these  gross  and  wicked  charges 
against  Sir  Philip  Holbeaut  as  a  cloak  to  his  own 
dishonor. 

Walter  was  furious  when  he  heard  the  contents 
of  this  letter,  and  the  king  and  Black  Prince  were 
no  less  indignant.  Although  they  doubted  him  not 
for  a  moment,  Walter  begged  that  Ealph  might  be 
brought  before  them  and  examined  strictly  as  to 
what  had  taken  place,  in  order  that  they  might 


294  ^^''  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

see  that  his  statements  tallied  exactly  with  those  he 
had  made. 

When  this  had  been  done  Walter  obtained  per- 
mission from  the  king  to  dispatch  a  cartel  to  Sir 
Philip  de  Holbeaut  denouncing  him  as  a  perjured 
and  dishonored  knight  and  challenging  him  to  meet 
him  in  mortal  conflict  at  any  time  and  place  that 
he- might  name.  At  the  same  time  the  king  dis- 
patched a  letter  to  Philip  of  Yalois  saying  that  the 
statements  of  the  French  knight  and  his  followers 
were  wholly  untrue,  and  begging  that  a  time  might 
be  appointed  for  the  meeting  of  the  two  knights  in 
the  lists. 

To  this  King  Philip  replied  that  he  had  ordered 
all  private  quarrels  in  France  to  be  laid  aside  during 
the  progress  of  the  war,  and  that  so  long  as  an 
English  foot  remained  upon  French  soil  he  would 
give  no  countenance  to  his  knights  throwing  away 
the  lives  which  they  owed  to  France  in  private 
broils. 

"  You  must  wait,  Sir  Walter,  you  see,"  the  king 
said,  "  until  you  may  perchance  meet  him  in  the 
field  of  battle.  In  the  mean  time,  to  show  how 
lightly  I  esteem  the  foul  charge  brought  against 
you,  and  how  much  I  hold  and  honor  the  bravery 
which  you  showed  in  defending  the  castle  which  my 
son  the  prince  intrusted  to  you,  as  well  as  upon 
other  occasions,  I  hereby  promote  yow  to  the  rank 
of  knight  banneret." 

Events  now  passed  slowly  before  Calais.  Queen 
Philippa  and  many  of  her  ladies  crossed  the  Channel 


ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  295 

and  joined  her  husband,  and  these  added  much  to 
the  gayety  of  the  life  in  camp.  The  garrison  at 
Calais  was,  it  was  known,  in  the  sorest  straits  for 
the  want  of  food,  and  at  last  the  news  came  that 
the  King  of  France,  with  a  huge  army  of  two  hun- 
dred thousand  men,  was  moving  to  its  relief.  They 
had  gathered  at  Hesdin,  at  which  rendezvous  the 
king  had  arrived  in  the  early  part  of  April ;  but  it 
was  not  until  the  27th  of  July  that  the  whole  army 
was  collected,  and  marching  by  slow  steps  advanced 
toward  the  English  position. 

King  Edward  had  taken  every  precaution  to  guard 
all  the  approaches  to  the  city.  The  ground  was  in 
most  places  too  soft  and  sandy  to  admit  of 
the  construction  of  defensive  works ;  but  the  fleet 
was  drawn  up  close  inshore  to  cover  the  line  of 
sand-hills  by  the  sea  with  arrows  and  war  machines, 
while  the  passages  of  the  marshes,  which  extended 
for  a  considerable  distance  round  the  town,  were 
guarded  by  the  Earl  of  Lancaster  and  a  body  of 
chosen  troops,  while  the  other  approaches  to  the 
city  were  covered  by  the  English  camp. 

The  French  reconnoitering  parties  found  no  way 
open  to  attack  the  English  unless  under  grievous 
disadvantages.  The  Cardinals  of  Tusculum,  St. 
John,  and  St.  Paul  endeavored  to  negotiate  terms 
of  peace,  and  commissioners  on  both  sides  met.  The 
terms  offered  by  Philip  were,  however,  by  no  means 
so  favorable  as  Edward,  after  his  own  victorious 
operations  and  those  of  his  armies  in  Brittany  and 
Guienne,  had  a  right  to  expect,  and  the  negotiations 
were  broken  off. 


296  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

The  following  day  the  French  king  sent  in  a  mes- 
sage to  Edward  saying  that  he  had  examined  the 
ground  in  every  direction  in  order  to  advance  and 
give  battle,  but  had  found  no  means  of  doing  so. 
He  therefore  summoned  the  king  to  come  forth 
from  the  marshy  ground  in  which  he  was  encamped 
and  to  fight  in  the  open  plain  ;  and  he  offered  to 
send  four  French  knights,  who,  with  four  English 
of  the  same  rank,  should  choose  a  fair  plain  in  the 
neighborhood,  according  to  the  usages  of  chivalry. 
Edward  had  little  over  thirty  thousand  men  with 
him  ;  but  the  same  evening  that  Philip's  challenge 
was  received  a  body  of  seventeen  thousand  Flem- 
ings and  English,  detached  from  an  army  which  had 
been  doing  good  service  on  the  borders  of  Flanders, 
succeeded  in  passing  round  the  enemy's  host  and  in 
effecting  a  junction  with  the  king's  army.  Early 
the  next  morning,  after  having  consulted  with  his 
officers,  Edward  returned  an  answer  to  the  French 
king,  saying  that  he  agreed  to  his  proposal,  and  in- 
closed a  safe-conduct  for  any  four  French  knights 
who  might  be  appointed  to  arrange  with  the  same 
number  of  English  the  place  of  battle. 

The  odds  were  indeed  enormous,  the  French  being 
four  to  one ;  but  Edward,  after  the  success  of 
C/essy,  which  had  been  won  by  the  Black  Prince's 
division,  which  bore  a  still  smaller  proportion  to 
the  force  engaging  it,  might  well  feel  confident  in 
the  valor  of  his  troops.  His  envoys,  on  arriving  at 
the  French  camp,  found  that  Philip  had  apparently 
changed  his  mind.     He  declined  to  discuss  the  mat- 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  29? 

ter  with  which  they  were  charged,  and  spoke  only 
of  the  terms  upon  which  Edward  would  be  willing 
to  raise  the  siege  of  Calais.  As  they  had  no  au- 
thority on  this  subject  the  English  knights  returned 
to  their  camp,  where  the  news  was  received  with 
great  disappointment,  so  confident  did  all  feel  in 
their  power  to  defeat  the  huge  host  of  the  French. 
But  even  greater  was  the  astonishment  the  next 
morning,  when,  before  daylight,  the  tents  of  the 
French  were  seen  in  one  great  flame,  and  it  was 
found  that  the  king  and  all  his  host  were  retreating 
at  full  speed.  The  Earls  of  Lancaster  and  ISTorth- 
ampton,  with  a  large  body  of  horse,  at  once  started 
in  pursuit,  and  harassed  the  retreating  army  on  its 
march  toward  Amiens. 

No  satisfactory  reasons  ever  have  been  assigned 
for  this  extraordinary  step  on  the  part  of  the  French 
king.  He  had  been  for  months  engaged  in  collect- 
ing a  huge  army,  and  he  had  now  an  opportunity 
of  fighting  the  English  in  a  fair  -field  with  a  force 
four  times  as  great  as  their  own.  The  only  means 
indeed  of  accounting  for  his  conduct  is  by  supposing 
him  affected  by  temporary  aberration  of  mind, 
which  many  other  facts  in  his  history  render  not 
improbable.  The  fits  of  rage  so  frequently  recorded 
of  him  border  upon  madness,  and  a  number  of 
strange  actions  highly  detrimental  to  his  own  inter- 
ests which  he  committed  can  only  be  accounted  for 
as  the  acts  of  a  diseased  mind.  This  view  has  been 
to  some  extent  confirmed  by  the  fact  that  less  than 
half  a  century  afterward  insanity  declared  itself 
among  his  descendants. 


298  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

A  few  hours  after  the  departure  of  the  French 
the  French  standard  was  lowered  on  the  walls  of 
Calais,  and  news  was  brought  to  Edward  that  the 
governor  was  upon  the  battlements  and  desired  to 
speak  with  some  officers  of  the  besieging  army. 
Sir  Walter  Manny  and  Lord  Bisset  were  sent  to 
confer  with  him,  and  found  that  his  object  was  to 
obtain  the  best  terms  he  could.  The  English 
knights,  knowing  the  determination  of  the  kmg  on 
the  subject,  were  forced  to  tell  him  that  no  pos- 
sibility existed  of  conditions  being  granted,  but  that 
the  king  demanded  their  unconditional  surrender, 
reserving  to  himself  entirely  the  right  whom  to  par- 
don and  whom  to  put  to  death. 

The  governor  remonstrated  on  the  severe  terms, 
and  said  that  rather  than  submit  to  them  he  and  his 
soldiers  would  sally  out  and  die  sword  in  hand.  Sir 
Walter  Manny  found  the  king  inexorable.  The 
strict  laws  of  war  in  those  days  justified  the  bar- 
barous practice  oi  putting  to  death  the  garrison  of 
a  town  captured  under  such  circumstances.  Calais 
had  been  tor  many  years  a  nest  of  pirates,  and  ves- 
sels issuing  from  its  port  bad  been  a  scourge  to  the 
commerce  of  England  and  Flanders,  and  the  king 
was  fully  determined  to  punish  it  severely.  Sir 
Walter  Manny  interceded  long  and  boldly,  and  rep- 
resented to  the  king  that  none  of  his  soldiers 
would  willingly  defend  a  town  on  his  behalf  from 
the  day  on  which  he  put  to  death  the  people  of 
Calais,  as  beyond  doubt  the  French  would  retaliate 
in  every  succeeding  siege.     The  other  nobles  and 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  299 

knights  joined  their  entreaties  to  those  of  Sir  Wal- 
ter Manny,  and  the  king  finally  consented  to  jaeld  in 
some  degree.  He  demanded  that  six  of  the  most 
notable  burghers  of  the  town,  with  bare  heads  and 
feet,  and  with  ropes  about  their  necks  and  the  keys 
of  the  fortress  in  their  hands,  should  deliver  them- 
selves up  for  execution.  On  these  conditions  he 
agreed  to  spare  the  rest.  With  these  terms  Sir 
Walter  Manny  returned  to  Sir  John  of  Yienne. 

The  governor  left  the  battlements,  and  proceed- 
ing to  the  market-place  ordered  the  bell  to  be  rung. 
The  famished  and  despairing  citizens  gathered,  a  hag- 
gard crowd,  to  hear  their  doom.  A  silence  fol- 
lowed the  narration,  of  the  hard  conditions  of  sur- 
render by  the  governor,  and  sobs  and  cries  alone 
broke  the  silence  which  succeeded.  Then  Eustace 
St.  Pierre,  the  wealthiest  and  most  distinguished  of 
the  citizens,  came  forward  and  offered  himself  as 
one  of  the  victims,  saying,  "  Sad  pity  and  shame 
would  it  be  to  let  all  of  our  fellow-citizens  die  of 
famine  or  the  sword  when  means  could  be  found  to 
save  them."  John  of  Aire,  James  and  Peter  de 
Yissant,  and  another  whose  name  has  not  come 
down  to  us,  followed  his  example,  and  stripping  to 
their  shirts  set  out  for  the  camp.  Sir  John  of 
Yienne,  who,  from  a  late  wound,  was  unable  to 
walk,  riding  at  their  head  on  horseback.  The 
whole  population  accompanied  them  weeping  bit- 
terl}^  until  they  came  to  the  place  where  Sir  Walter 
Manny  was  awaiting  them.  Here  the  crowd  halted, 
and  the  knight,  promising  to  do  his  best  to  save 


300  ST.  OEOnGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

them,  led  them  to  the  tent  where  the  king  had  as- 
sembled all  his  nobles  around  him.  When  the 
tidings  came  that  the  burghers  of  Calais  had  ar- 
rived, Edward  issued  out  with  his  retinue,  accom- 
panied by  Queen  Fhilippa  and  the  Black  Prince. 

"  Behold,  sire,"  Sir  Walter  Manny  said,  "  the 
representatives  of  the  town  of  Calais  !" 

The  king  made  no  reply  while  John  of  Yienne 
surrendered  his  sword  and,  kneeling  with  the 
burghers,  said  :  "  Gentle  lord  and  king,  behold,  we 
six,  who  were  once  the  greatest  citizens  and  mer- 
chants of  Calais,  bring  you  the  keys  of  the  town 
and  castle,  and  give  ourselves  up  to  your  pleasure, 
placing  ourselves  in  the  state  in  which  you  see  us  by 
our  own  free  will  to  save  the  rest  of  the  people  of 
the  city,  who  have  already  suffered  many  ills.  We 
pray  you,  therefore,  to  have  pity  and  mercy  upon 
us  for  the  sake  of  your  high  nobleness." 

All  present  were  greatly  affected  at  this  speech, 
and  at  the  aspect  of  men  who  thus  offered  their 
lives  for  their  fellow-citizens.  The  king's  counte- 
nance alone  remained  unchanged,  and  he  ordered 
them  to  be  taken  to  instant  execution.  Then  Sir 
Walter  Manny  and  all  the  nobles  with  tears  be- 
sought the  king  to  have  mercy,  not  only  for  the 
sake  of  the  citizens,  but  for  that  of  his  own  fame, 
which  would  be  tarnished  by  so  cruel  a  deed. 

"  Silence,  Sir  Walter  !"  cried  the  king.  "  Let  the 
executioner  be  called.  The  men  of  Calais  have  put 
to  death  so  man  v  of  ray  subjects  that  I  will  also  put 
these  men  to  death." 


ST.  QEOROE  FOR  ENOLAND.  301 

At  this  moment  Queen  Philippa,  who  had  been 
weeping  bitterly,  cast  herself  upon  her  knees  before 
the  king.  "  Oh,  gentle  lord,"  she  cried,  "  since  I 
have  repassed  the  seas  to  see  you  I  have  neither 
asked  nor  required  anything  at  your  hand ;  now, 
then,  I  pray  3^ou  humbly,  and  require  as  a  boon, 
that  for  the  sake  of  the  Son  of  Mary,  and  for  love 
of  rae,  you  take  these  men  to  mercy." 

The  king  stood  for  a  moment  in  silence,  and  then 
said  : 

"  Ah !  lady,  I  would  that  you  had  been  other- 
where than  here ;  but  you  beg  of  me  so  earnestly  I 
must  not  refuse  you,  though  I  grant  your  prayer 
with  pain.  I  give  them  to  you ;  take  them,  and  do 
your  will." 

Then  the  queen  rose  from  her  knees,  and  bidding 
the  burghers  rise,  she  caused  clothing  and  food  to 
be  given  them,  and  sent  them  away  free. 

Sir  Walter  Manny,  with  a  considerable  body  of 
men-at-arms,  now  took  possession  of  the  town  of 
Calais.  The  anger  of  the  king  soon  gave  way  to 
better  feelings  ;  all  the  citizens,  without  exception, 
were  fed  by  his  bounty.  Such  of  them  as  preferred 
to  depart  instead  of  swearing  fealty  to  the  English 
monarch  were  allowed  to  carry  away  what  effects 
they  could  bear  upon  their  persons,  and  were  con- 
ducted in  safety  to  the  French  town  of  Guisnes. 
Eustace  de  St.  Pierre  was  granted  almost  aU  the 
possessions  he  had  formerly  held  in  Calais,  and  also 
a  considerable  pension  ;  and  he  and  all  who  were 
willing  to  remain  were  well  and  kindly  treated. 


302  ST.  GEOBGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

The  number  was  large,  for  the  natural  indignation 
which  they  felt  at  their  base  desertion  hy  the  French 
king  induced  very  many  of  the  citizens  to  remain 
and  become  subjects  of  Edward.  The  king  issued 
a  proclamation  inviting  English  traders  and  others 
to  come  across  and  take  up  their  residence  in  Calais, 
bestowing  upon  them  the  houses  and  lands  of  the 
French  who  had  left.  Yery  many  accepted  the  in- 
vitation, and  Calais  henceforth  and  for  some 
centuries  became  virtually  an  English  town. 

A  truce  was  now,  through  the  exertions  of  the 
pope's  legates,  made  between  England  and  France, 
the  terms  agreed  on  being  very  similar  to  those  of 
the  previous  treaty  ;  and  when  all  his  arrangements 
were  finished  Edward  returned  with  his  queen  to 
England,  having  been  absent  eighteen  months, 
during  which  time  an  almost  unbroken  success  had 
attended  his  arms,  and  the  English  name  had 
reached  a  position  of  respect  and  honor  in  the  ej^'es 
of  Europe  far  beyond  that  at  which  it  previously 
stood. 


8T,  GEOBQE  FOR  ENGLAND.  303 


CHAPTER  XYIII. 


THE      BLACK     DEATH. 


The  court  at  Westminster  during  the  few  months 
which  followed  the  capture  of  Calais  was  the  most 
brilliant  in  Europe.  Tournaments  and  fetes  fol- 
lowed each  other  in  rapid  succession,  and  to  these 
knights  came  from  all  parts.  So  great  was  the 
reputation  of  King  Edward  that  deputies  came  from 
Germany,  where  the  throne  was  now  vacant,  to 
offer  the  crown  of  that  kino^dom  to  him.  The  kino^ 
declined  the  offer,  for  it  would  have  been  impossible 
indeed  for  him  to  have  united  the  German  crown 
with  that  of  England,  which  he  already  held,  and 
that  of  France,  which  he  claimed. 

Some  months  after  his  return  to  England  the 
Black  Prince  asked  his  father  as  a  boon  that  the 
hand  of  his  ward  Edith  Vernon  should  be  bestowed 
upon  the  prince's  brave  follower  Sir  Walter  Somers, 
and  as  Queen  Philippa,  in  the  name  of  the  lady's 
mother,  seconded  the  request,  the  king  at  once  ac- 
ceded to  it.  Edith  was  now  sixteen,  an  age  at 
which,  in  those  days,  a  young  lady  was  considered 
to  be  marriageable,  and  the  wedding  took  place  with 
great  pomp  and  ceremony  at  Westminster,  the  king 


304  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

himself  giving  away  the  bride,  and  bestowing,  as 
did  the  prince  and  Queen  Philippa,  many  costly 
presents  upon  the  young  couple.  After  taking 
part  in  several  of  the  tournaments,  Walter  went 
with  his  bride  and  Dame  Yernon  down  to  their 
estates,  and  were  received  with  great  rejoicing  by 
the  tenantry,  the  older  of  whom  well  remembered 
Walter's  father  and  mother,  and  were  rejoiced  at 
finding  that  they  were  again  to  become  the  vassals 
of  one  of  the  old  famih^  Dame  Yernon  was  greatl}" 
loved  by  her  tenantry ;  but  the  latter  had  looked 
forward  with  some  apprehension  to  the  marriage  of 
the  young  heiress,  as  the  character  of  the  knight 
upon  whom  the  king  might  bestow  her  hand  would 
greatly  affect  the  happiness  and  well-being  of  his 
tenants. 

Sir  James  Carnegie  had  not  returned  to  England 
after  the  fall  of  Calais ;  he  perceived  that  he  was  in 
grave  disfavor  with  the  Black  Prince,  and  guessed, 
as  was  the  case,  that  some  suspicion  had  fallen  on 
him  in  reference  to  the  attack  upon  Walter  in  the 
camp,  and  to  the  strange  attempt  which  had  been 
made  to  destroy  him  by  Sir  Philip  Holbeaut.  He 
had,  therefore,  for  a  time  taken  service  with  the 
Count  of  Savoy,  and  was  away  from  England,  to  the 
satisfaction  of  Walter  and  Dame  Yernon,  when  the 
marriage  took  place ;  for  he  had  given  proofs  of 
such  a  malignity  of  disposition  that  both  felt  that 
although  his  succession  to  the  estates  was  now  hope- 
lessly barred,  yet  that  he  might  at  any  moment 
attempt  some  desperate  deed  to  satisfy  his  feeling 
of  disappointment  and  revenge. 


ST.  GEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND.  305 

In  spite  of  the  gayety  of  the  court  of  King  Edward 
a  cloud  hung  over  the  kingdom ;  for  it  was  threat- 
ened by  a  danger  far  more  terrible  than  any  com- 
bination of  foes — a  danger  from  which  no  gallantry 
upon  the  part  of  her  king  or  warriors  availed  any- 
thing. With  a  slow  and  terrible  march  the  enemy 
was  advancing  from  the  East,  where  countless  hosts 
had  been  slain.  India,  Arabia,  Syria,  and  Armenia 
had  been  well-nigh  depopulated.  In  no  country 
which  the  dread  foe  had  invaded  had  less  than  two- 
thirds  of  the  population  been  slain ;  in  some  nine- 
tenths  had  perished.  All  sorts  of  portents  were  re- 
ported to  have  accompanied  its  appearance  in  the 
East,  where  it  was  said  showers  of  serpents  had 
fallen,  strange  and  unknown  insects  had  appeared  in 
the  atmosphere,  and  clouds  of  sulphurous  vapor  had 
issued  from  the  earth  and  enveloped  whole  prov- 
inces and  countries.  For  two  or  three  years  the  ap- 
pearance of  this  scourge  had  been  heralded  by 
strange  atmospheric  disturbances ;  heavy  rains  and 
unusual  floods,  storms  of  thunder  and  lightning  of 
unheard-of  violence,  hail-showers  of  unparalleled 
duration  and  severity,  had  everywhere  been  ex- 
perienced, while  in  Italy  and  Germany  violent 
earthquake  shocks  had  been  felt,  and  that  at  places 
where  no  tradition  existed  of  previous  occurrences  of 
the  same  kind. 

Erom  Asia  it  had  spread  to  Africa  and  to  Europe, 
affecting  first  the  sea -shores  and  creeping  inland  by 
the  course  of  the  rivers.  Greece  first  felt  its  ravages, 
and  Italy  was  not  long  in  experiencing  them.     In 


306  ^^-  (GEORGE  FOU  ENGLAND. 

Yenice  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  persona 
perished  in  a  few  months,  and  thence  spreading  over 
the  whole  peninsula,  not  a  town  escaped  the  visit- 
ation. At  Florence  sixty  thousand  people  were 
carried  off,  aud  at  Lucca  and  Genoa,  in  Sicily, 
Sardinia,  and  Corsica  it  raged  with  equal  violence. 
France  was  assailed  by  way  of  Provence,  and 
Avignon  suffered  especially.  Of  the  English  college 
at  that  place  not  an  individual  was  left,  and  one 
hundred  and  twenty  persons  died  in  a  single  day  in 
that  small  city.  Paris  lost  upward  of  fifty  thousand 
of  its  inhabitants,  while  ninety  thousand  were 
swept  away  in  Lubeck,  and  one  million  two  hun- 
dred thousand  died  within  a  year  of  its  first  appear- 
ance in  Germany. 

In  England  the  march  of  the  pestilence  westward 
was  viewed  with  deep  apprehension,  and  the  ap- 
proaching danger  was  brought  home  to  the  people 
by  the  death  of  the  Princess  Joan,  the  king's 
second  daughter.  She  was  affianced  to  Peter,  the 
heir  to  the  throne  of  Spain ;  and  the  bride,  who  had 
not  yet  accomplished  her  fourteenth  year,  was  sent 
over  to  Bordeaux  with  a  considerable  train  of 
attendants  in  order  to  be  united  there  to  her  prom- 
.  ised  husband.  Scarcely  had  she  reached  Bordeaux 
when  she  was  attacked  by  the  pestilence  and  died 
in  a  few  hours. 

A  few  days  later  the  news  spread  through  the 
country  that  the  disease  had  appeared  almost  sim- 
ultaneously at  several  of  the  seaports  in  the  south- 
west  of  England.     Thonce  with  great  rapidity  it 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  307 

spread  through  the  kingdom ;  proceeding  through 
Gloucestershire  and  Oxfordshire  it  broke  out  in 
London,  and  the  ravages  were  no  less  severe  than 
they  had  been  on  the  Continent,  the  very  lowest 
estimate  being  that  two-thirds  of  the  population 
were  swept  away.  Most  of  those  attacked  died 
within  a  few  hours  of  the  seizure.  If  they  survived 
for  two  days  they  generally  rallied,  but  even  then 
many  fell  into  a  state  of  coma  from  which  they 
never  awoke. 

No  words  can  describe  the  terror  and  dismay 
caused  by  this  the  most  destructive  plague  of  which 
there  is  any  record  in  history.  No  remedies  were 
of  the  slightest  avail  against  it ;  flight  was  impos- 
sible, for  the  loneliest  hamlets  suffered  as  severely 
as  crowded  towns,  and  frequently  not  a  single  sur- 
vivor was  left.  Men  met  the  pestilence  in  various 
moods :  the  brave  with  fortitude,  the  pious  with 
resignation,  the  cowardly  and  turbulent  with  out- 
bursts of  despair  and  fury.  Among  the  lower 
classes  the  wildest  rumors  gained  credence.  Some 
assigned  the  pestilence  to  witchcraft,  others  declared 
that  the  waters  of  the  wells  and  streams  had  been 
poisoned.  Serious  riots  occurred  in  many  pla«es, 
and  great  numbers  of  people  fell  victims  to  the 
fury  of  the  mob  under  the  suspicion  of  being  con- 
nected in  some  way  with  the  ravages  of  the 
pestilence.  The  Jews,  ever  the  objects  of  popular 
hostility,  engendered  by  ignorance  and  supersti- 
tion, were  among  the  chief  sufferers.  Bands  of 
marauders  wandered  through  the  country  plunder- 


308  ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

ing  the  houses  left  empty  by  the  death  of  all  their 
occupants,  and  from  end  to  end  death  and  suffering 
were  universal. 

Although  all  classes  had  suffered  heavily  the 
ravages  of  the  disease  were,  as  is  always  the  case, 
greater  among  the  poor  than  among  the  rich,  the 
unsanitary  conditions  of  their  life  and  their  coarser 
and  commoner  food  rendering  them  more  liable  to 
its  influence  ;  no  rank,  however,  was  exempted,  and 
no  less  than  three  Archbishops  of  Canterbury  were 
carried  off  in  succession  by  the  pestilence  within  a 
year  of  its  appearance. 

During  the  months  which  succeeded  his  marriage 
Sir  Walter  Somers  lived  quietly  and  happily  with 
his  wife  at  Westerham.  It  was  not  until  late  in  the 
year  that  the  plague  approached  the  neighborhood. 
Walter  had  determined  to  await  its  approach  there. 
He  had  paid  a  few  short  visits  to  the  court,  where 
every  effort  was  made  by  continuous  gayety  to  keep 
up  the  spirits  of  the  people  and  prevent  them  from 
brooding  over  the  approaching  pestilence ;  but  when 
it  was  at  hand  Walter  and  his  wife  agreed  that  they 
would  rather  share  the  lot  of  their  tenants,  whom 
their  presence  and  example  might  support  and  cheer 
in  their  need,  than  return  to  face  it  in  London. 
One  morning  when  they  were  at  breakfast  a 
frightened  servant  brought  in  the  news  that  the 
disease  had  appeared  in  the  village,  that  three 
persons  had  been  taken  ill  on  the  previous  night, 
that  two  had  already  died,  and  that  several  other? 
had  sickened. 


BT.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  309 

"  The  time  has  come,  my  children,"  Dame  Yernon 
said  cahiily,  "  the  danger  so  long  foreseen  is  at  hand, 
now  let  us  face  it  as  we  agreed  to  do.  It  has  been 
proved  that  flight  is  useless,  since  nowhere  is  there 
escape  from  the  plague ;  here,  at  least,  there  shall 
be  no  repetition  of  the  terrible  scenes  we  have 
heard  of  elsewhere,  where  the  living  have  fled  in 
panic  and  allowed  the  stricken  to  die  unattended. 
We  have  already  agreed  that  we  will  set  the  ex- 
ample to  our  people  by  ourselves  going  down  and 
administering  to  the  sick." 

"  It  is  hard,"  Walter  said,  rising  and  pacing  up 
and  down  the  room,  "  to  let  Edith  go  into  it." 

"  Edith  will  do  just  the  same  as  you  do,"  his  wife 
said  firmly.  "  Were  it  possible  that  all  in  this 
house  might  escape,  there  might  be  a  motive  for 
turning  coward,  but  seeing  that  no  household  is 
spared,  there  is,  as  we  agreed,  greater  danger  in 
flying  from  the  pestilence  than  facing  it  firmly." 

Walter  sighed. 

"  You  are  right,"  he  said,  "  but  it  wrings  my  heart 
to  see  you  place  yourself  in  danger." 

"  Were  we  out  of  danger  here,  Walter,  it  might 
be  so,"  Edith  replied  gently  ;  "  but  since  there  is  no 
more  safety  in  the  castle  than  in  the  cottage,  we 
must  face  death  whether  it  pleases  us  or  not,  and  it 
were  best  to  do  so  bravely." 

'-  So  be  it,"  Walter  said ;  *'  may  the  God  of  heaven 
watch  over  us  all !  Now,  mother,  do  you  and  Edith 
busy  yourselves  in  preparing  broths,  strengthening 
drinks,  and  medicaments.     I  will  go  down  at  once 


310  ST,  GEORGE  F^R  e:^GLAND, 

to  the  village  and  see  how  matters  stand  there  and 
who  are  in  need.  We  have  already  urged  upon  all 
our  people  to  face  the  danger  bravely,  and  if  die 
they  must,  to  die  bravely  like  Christians,  and  not 
like  coward  dogs.  When  you  have  prepared  your 
soups  and  cordials  come  down  and  meet  me  in  the 
village,  bringing  Mabel  and  Janet,  your  attendants, 
to  carry  the  baskets." 

Kalph,  who  was  now  installed  as  major-domo  in 
the  castle,  at  once  set  out  with  Walter.  They  found 
the  village  in  a  state  of  panic.  Women  were  sitting 
crying  despairingly  at  their  doors.  Some  were  en- 
gaged in  packing  their  belongings  in  carts  prepara- 
tory to  flight,  some  wandered  aimlessly  about 
wringing  their  hands,  while  others  went  to  the 
church,  whose  bells  were  mournfully  tolling  the 
dirge  of  the  departed.  Walter's  presence  soon  re- 
stored something  like  order  and  confidence ;  his 
resolute  tone  cheered  the  timid  and  gave  hope  to 
the  despairing.  Sternly  he  rebuked  those  prepar- 
ing to  fly,  and  ordered  them  instantly  to  replace 
their  goods  in  their  houses.  Then  he  went  to  the 
priest  and  implored  him  to  cause  the  tolling  of  the 
bell  to  cease. 

"There  is  enough,"  he  said,  "  in  the  real  danger 
present  to  appall  even  the  bravest,  and  we  need  no 
bell  to  tell  us  that  death  is  among  us.  The  dismal 
tolling  is  enough  to  unnerve  the  stoutest  heart,  and 
if  we  ring  for  all  who  die  its  sounds  will  never  cease 
while  the  plague  is  among  us ;  therefore,  father,  I 
implore  you  to  discontinue  it.     Let  there  be  services 


8T,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  311 

held  daily  in  the  church,  but  I  beseech  you  strive  in 
your  discourses  to  cheer  the  people  rather  than  to 
depress  them,  and  to  dwell  more  upon  the  joys  that 
await  those  who  die  as  Christian  men  and  women 
than  upon  the  sorrows  of  those  who  remain  behind. 
My  wife  and  mother  will  anon  be  down  in  the  vil- 
lage and  will  strive  to  cheer  and  comfort  the  peo- 
ple, and  I  look  to  you  for  aid  in  this  matter." 

The  priest,  who  was  naturally  a  timid  man, 
nevertheless  nerved  himself  to  carry  out  Walter's 
suofsrestions,  and  soon  the  dismal  tones  of  the  bell 
ceased  to  be  heard  in  the  village. 

Walter  dispatched  messengers  to  all  the  outlying 
farms  desiring  his  tenants  to  meet  him  that  after- 
noon at  the  castle  in  order  that  measures  might  be 
concerted  for  common  aid  and  assistance.  An  hour 
later  Dame  Yernon  and  Edith  came  down  and 
visited  all  the  houses  where  the  plague  had  made 
its  appearance,  distributing  their  soups,  and  by 
cheering  and  comforting  words  raising  the  spirits 
of  the  relatives  of  the  sufferers. 

The  names  of  all  the  women  ready  to  aid  in  the 
general  work  of  nursing  were  taken  down,  and  in 
the  afternoon  at  the  meeting  at  the  castle  the  full 
arrangements  were  completed.  Work  was  to  be 
carried  on  as  usual  in  order  to  occupy  men's  minds 
and  prevent  them  from  brooding  over  the  ravages 
of  the  plague.  Information  of  any  case  that  oc- 
curred was  to  be  sent  to  the  castle,  where  soups  and 
medicines  were  to  be  obtained.  Whenever  more 
assistance  was  required  than  could  be  furnished  by 


312  ST.  QEORGtE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

the  inmates  of  a  house  another  woman  was  to  be 
sent  to  aid.  Boys  were  told  off  as  messengers  to 
fetch  food  and  other  matters  as  required  from  the 
castle. 

So,  bravely  and  firmly,  they  prepared  to  meet 
the  pestilence ;  it  spread  with  terrible  severity. 
Scarce  a  house  which  did  not  lose  some  of  its  in- 
mates, while  in  others  whole  families  were  swept 
away.  All  day  Walter  and  his  wife  and  Dame 
Yernon  went  from  house  to  house,  and  although 
they  could  do  nothing  to  stem  the  progress  of  the 
pestilence,  their  presence  and  example  supported 
the  survivors  and  prevented  the  occurrence  of  any 
of  the  panic  and  disorder  which  in  most  places  ac- 
companied it. 

The  castle  was  not  exempt  from  the  scourge. 
First  some  of  the  domestics  were  seized,  and  three 
men  and  four  women  died.  Walter  himself  was 
attacked,  but  he  took  it  lightly,  and  three  days 
after  the  seizure  passed  into  a  state  of  convales- 
cence. Dame  Yernon  was  next  attacked,  and  ex- 
pired six  hours  after  the  commencement  of  the 
seizure.  Scarcely  was  Walter  upon  his  feet  than 
Kalph,  who  had  not  for  a  moment  left  his  bedside, 
was  seized,  but  he  too,  after  being  at  death's  door 
for  some  hours,  turned  the  corner.  Lastly  Edith 
sickened. 

By  this  time  the  scourge  had  done  its  worst  in 
the  village,  and  three-fifths  of  the  population  had 
been  swept  away.  All  the  male  retainers  in  the 
castle  had  died,  and  the  one  female  who  survived 


S2\  OEORQE  FOR  BNOLAND.  313 

was  nursing  her  dying  mother  in  the  village. 
Edith's  attack  was  a  very  severe  one.  Walter,  alone 
now,  for  Ealph,  although  convalescent,  had  not  yet 
left  his  bed,  sat  by  his  wife's  bedside  a  prey  to 
anxiety  and  grief ;  for  although  she  had  resisted 
the  first  attack  she  was  now,  thirty-six  hours  after 
it  had  seized  her,  fast  sinking.  Gradually  her  sight 
and  power  of  speech  faded,  and  she  sank  into  the 
state  of  coma  which  was  the  prelude  of  death,  and 
lay  quiet  and  motionless,  seeming  as  if  life  had 
already  departed. 

Suddenly  Walter  was  surprised  by  the  sound  of 
many  heavy  feet  ascending  the  stairs.  He  went 
out  into  the  anteroom  to  learn  the  cause  of  this 
strange  tumult,  when  five  armed  men,  one  of  whom 
was  masked,  rushed  into  the  room.  Walter  caught 
up  his  sword  from  the  table. 

"Euffians,"  he  exclaimed,  "how  dare  you  thus 
desecrate  the  abode  of  death  ?" 

Without  a  word  the  men  sprang  upon  him.  For 
a  minute  he  defended  himself  against  their  attacks, 
but  he  was  still  weak,  his  guard  was  beaten  down, 
and  a  blow  felled  him  to  the  ground. 

"]^ow  settle  her,"  the  masked  man  exclaimed, 
and  the  band  rushed  into  the  adjoining  room.  They 
paused,  however,  at  the  door  at  the  sight  of  the 
lifeless  figure  on  the  couch. 

"  We  are  saved  that  trouble,"  one  said,  "  we  have 
come  too  late." 

The  masked  figure  approached  the  couch  and 
bent  over  the  figure. 


314  ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  she  is  dead,  and  so  much  the 
better." 

Then  he  returned  with  the  others  to  Waiter. 

"  He  breathes  yet,"  he  said.  "  He  needs  a  harder 
blow  than  that  you  gave  him  to  finish  him.  Let 
him  lie  here  for  awhile,  while  you  gather  your 
booty  together,  then  we  will  carry  him  off.  There 
is  scarcely  a  soul  alive  in  the  country  round,  and 
none  will  note  us  as  we  pass.  I  would  not  dispatch 
him  here,  seeing  that  his  body  would  be  found  with 
wounds  upon  it,  and  even  in  these  times  some  in- 
quiry might  be  made ;  therefore  it  w^ere  best  to 
finish  him  elsewhere.  When  he  is  missed  it  will  be 
supposed  that  he  went  mad  at  the  death  of  his  wife, 
and  has  wandered  out  and  died,  maybe  in  the  woods, 
or  has  drowned  himself  in  a  pond  or  stream.  Be- 
sides, I  would  that  before  he  dies  he  should  know 
what  hand  has  struck  the  blow,  and  that  my  venge- 
ance, which  he  slighted  and  has  twice  escaped,  has 
overtaken  him  at  last." 

After  ransacking  the  principal  rooms  and  taking 
all  that  was  valuable,  the  band  of  marauders  lifted 
the  still  insensible  body  of  Walter,  and  carrying  it 
downstairs  flung  it  across  a  horse.  One  of  the 
ruffians  mounted  behind  it,  and  the  others  also  get- 
ting into  their  saddles  the  party  rode  awaj^. 

They  were  mistaken,  however,  in  supposing  that 
the  Lady  Edith  was  dead.  She  was  indeed  very  nigh 
the  gates  of  death,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  dis- 
turbance would  assuredly  have  speedily  entered 
them.     The  voice  of  her  husband  raised  in  anger. 


ST.  OEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND.  315 

the  clash  of  steel,  followed  by  the  heavy  fall,  had 
awakened  her  deadened  brain.  Consciousness  had 
at  once  returned  to  her,  but  as  yet  no  power  of 
movement.  As  at  a  great  distance  she  had  heard 
the  words  of  those  who  entered  her  chamber,  and 
had  understood  their  import.  More  and  more  dis- 
tinctly she  heard  their  movements  about  the  room 
as  they  burst  open  her  caskets  and  appropriated  her 
jewels,  but  it  was  not  until  silence  was  restored  that 
the  gathering  powers  of  life  asserted  themselves; 
then  with  a  sudden  rush  the  blood  seemed  to  course 
through  her  veins,  her  eyes  opened,  and  her  tongue 
was  loosed,  and  with  a  scream  she  sprang  up  and 
stood  by  the  side  of  her  bed. 

Sustained  as  by  a  supernatural  power  she  hurried 
into  the  next  room.  A  pool  of  blood  on  the  floor 
showed  her  that  what  she  had  heard  had  not  been 
a  dream  or  the  fiction  of  a  disordered  brain.  Snatch- 
ing up  a  cloak  of  her  husband's  which  lay  on  a 
couch,  she  wrapped  it  round  her,  and  wnth  hurried 
steps  made  her  way  along  the  passages  until  she 
reached  the  apartment  occupied  by  Kalph.  The 
latter  sprang  up  in  bed  with  a  cry  of  astonishment. 
He  had  heard  but  an  hour  before  from  Walter  that 
all  hope  was  gone,  and  thought  for  an  instant  that 
the  appearance  was  an  apparition  from  the  dead. 
The  ghastly  pallor  of  the  face,  the  eyes  burning 
with  a  strange  light,  the  flowing  hair,  and  dis- 
ordered appearance  of  the  girl  might  well  have 
alarmed  one  living  in  even  less  superstitious  times, 
and  Ralph  began  to  cross  himself  hastily  and  to  mut- 


316  BT.  GEORGE  FOU  ENGLAND, 

ter  a  prayer,  when  recalled  to  himself  by  the  sound 
of  Edith's  voice. 

"  Quick,  Ealph  !"  she  said,  "  arise  and  clothe  your- 
self. Hasten,  for  your  life.  My  lord's  enemies  have 
fallen  upon  him  and  wounded  him  grievously,  even  if 
the}^  have  not  slain  him,  and  have  carried  him  away. 
They  would  have  slain  me  also  had  they  not  thought 
I  was  already  dead.'  Arise  and  mount,  summon 
every  one  still  alive  in  the  village,  and  follow  these 
murderers.    I  will  pull  the  alarm-bell  of  the  castle." 

Ralph  sprang  from  his  bed  as  Edith  left.  He  had 
heard  the  sound  of  many  footsteps  in  the  knight's 
apartments,  but  had  deemed  them  those  of  the 
priest  and  his  acolytes  come  to  administer  the  last 
rites  of  the  Church  to  his  dying  mistress.  Rage  and 
anxiety  for  his  master  gave  strength  to  his  limbs. 
He  threw  on  a  few  clothes  and  rushed  down  to  the 
stables,  where  the  horses  stood  with  great  piles  of 
forage  and  pails  of  water  before  them,  placed  there 
two  days  before,  by  Walter,  when  their  last  attend- 
ant died.  Without  waiting  to  saddle  it,  Ralph 
sprang  upon  the  back  of  one  of  the  animals,  and 
taking  the  halters  of  four  others  started  at  a  gallop 
down  to  the  village. 

His  news  spread  like  wildfire,  for  the  ringing  of 
the  alarm-bell  of  the  castle  had  drawn  all  to  their 
doors  and  prepared  them  for  something  strange. 
Some  of  the  men  had  already  taken  their  arms  and 
were  making  their  way  up  to  the  castle  when  they 
met  Ralph.  There  were  but  ^yq  men  in  the  village 
who  had  altogether  escaped  the  pestilence ;  others 


ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND  317 

had  survived  its  attacks,  but  were  still  weak. 
Horses  there  were  in  plenty.  The  five  men  mounted 
at  once,  with  three  others  who,  though  still  weak, 
were  able  to  ride. 

So  great  was  the  excitement  that  seven  women 
who  had  escaped  the  disease  armed  themselves 
with  their  husbands'  swords  and  leaped  on  horse- 
back, declaring  that,  women  though  they  were,  they 
would  strike  a  blow  for  their  beloved  lord,  who  had 
been  as  an  angel  in  the  village  during  the  plague. 
Thus  it  was  scarcely  more  than  ten  minutes  after 
the  marauders  had  left  the  castle  before  a  motley 
band,  fifteen  strong,  headed  by  Ralph,  rode  off  in 
pursuit,  while  some  of  the  women  of  the  village 
hurried  up  to  the  castle  to  comfort  Edith  with  the 
tidings  that  the  pursuit  had  already  commenced. 
Fortunately  a  lad  in  the  fields  had  noticed  the  five 
men  ride  away  from  the  castle,  and  was  able  to 
point  out  the  direction  they  had  taken. 

At  a  furious  gallop  Ralph  and  his  companions 
tore  across  the  country.  Mile  after  mile  was  passed. 
Once  or  twice  they  gained  news  from  laborers  in 
the  field  of  the  passage  of  those  before  them,  and 
knew  that  they  were  on  the  right  track.  They  had 
now  entered  a  wild  and  sparsely  inhabited  country. 
It  was  broken  and  much  undulated,  so  that  although 
they  knew  that  the  band  they  were  pursuing  were 
but  a  short  distance  ahead,  they  had  not  yet  caught 
sight  of  them,  and  they  hoped  that,  having  no  reason 
to  dread  any  immediate  pursuit,  these  would  soon 
slacken  their  pace.     This  expectation  was  realized, 


318  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

for  on  coming  over  a  brow  they  saw  the  party 
halted  at  a  turf-burner's  cottage  in  the  hollow  below. 
Three  of  the  men  had  dismounted ;  two  of  them 
were  examining  the  hoof  of  one  of  the  horses,  which 
had  apparently  cast  a  shoe  or  trodden  upon  a  stone. 
Ralph  had  warned  his  party  to  make  no  sound  when 
they  came  upon  the  fugitives.  The  sound  of  the 
horses'  hoofs  was  deadened  by  the  turf,  and  they 
were  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  marauders  before 
they  were  perceived ;  then  Ralph  uttered  a  shout, 
and  brandishing  their  swords  the  party  rode  down 
at  a  headlong  gallop. 

The  dismounted  men  leaped  into  their  saddles 
and  galloped  off  at  full  speed,  but  their  pursuers 
were  now  close  upon  them.  Ralph  and  two  of  his 
companions,  who  were  mounted  upon  Walter's  best 
horses,  gained  upon  them  at  every  stride.  Two  of 
them  were  overtaken  and  run  through. 

The  man  who  bore  Walter  before  him,  finding 
himself  being  rapidly  overtaken,  threw  his  burden 
on  to  the  ground  just  as  the  leader  of  the  party  had 
checked  his  horse  and  was  about  to  deliver  a  sweep- 
ing blow  at  the  insensible  body. 

With  a  curse  at  his  follower  for  ridding  hiijaself  of 
it,  he  again  galloped  on.  The  man's  act  was  un- 
availing to  save  himself,  for  he  was  overtaken  and 
cut  down  before  he  had  ridden  many  strides  ;  then 
Ralph  and  his  party  instantly  reined  up  to  examine 
the  state  of  Walter,  and  the  two  survivors  of  the 
band  of  murderers  continued  their  flight  unmo- 
lested. 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  319 


CHAPTEK  XIX. 


BY     LAND     AND     SEA. 


Walter  was  raised  from  the  ground,  water  was 
fetched  from  the  cottage,  and  the  blood  washed 
from  his  head  by  Ealph,  aided  by  two  of  the 
women.  It  had  at  once  been  seen  that  he  was  still 
living,  and  Ralph  on  examining  the  wound  joyfully 
declared  that  no  great  harm  was  done. 

"  Had  Sir  Walter  been  strong  and  well,"  he  said, 
"  such  a  clip  as  this  would  not  have  knocked  him 
from  his  feet,  but  he  would  have  answered  it  with 
a  blow  such  as  I  have  often  seen  him  give  in  battle ; 
but  he  was  but  barely  recovering  and  was  as  weak 
as  a  girl.  He  is  unconscious  from  loss  of  blood  and 
weakness.  I  warrant  me  that  when  he  opens  his 
eyes  and  hears  that  the  Lady  Edith  had  risen  from 
her  bed  and  came  to  send  me  to  his  rescue,  joy  will 
soon  bring  the  blood  into  his  cheeks  again.  Do  one 
of  you  run  to  the  hut  and  see  if  they  have  any  cor- 
dial waters ;  since  the  plague  has  been  raging  there 
are  few  houses  but  have  laid  in  a  provision  in  case 
the  disease  should  seize  them." 

The  man  soon  returned  with  a  bottle  of  cordial 
water  compounded  of  rosemary,  lavender,  and  other 


320  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

nerbs.  By  this  time  Walter  had  opened  his  eyes. 
The  cordial  was  poured  down  his  throat,  and  he  was 
presently  able  to  speak. 

"Be  of  ^ood  cheer,  Sir  Walter,"  Ealph  said; 
"  three  of  your  rascally  assailants  lie  dead,  and  the 
other  two  have  fled ;  but  I  have  better  news  still 
for  you.  Lady  Edith,  who  you  told  me  lay  uncon- 
scious and  dying,  has  revived.  The  din  of  the  con- 
flict seems  to  have  reached  her  ears  and  recalled 
her  to  life,  and  the  dear  lady  came  to  my  room 
with  the  news  that  you  were  carried  off,  and  then, 
while  I  was  throwing  on  my  clothes,  roused  the 
village  to  your  assistance  by  ringing  the  alarm-bell. 
Barely  frightened  I  was  when  she  came  in,  for 
methought  at  first  it  was  her  spirit." 

The  good  news,  as  Kalph  had  predicted,  effectual- 
ly roused  Walter,  and  rising  to  his  feet  he  declared 
himself  able  to  mount  and  ride  back  at  once. 
Ealph  tried  to  persuade  him  to  wait  until  they  had 
formed  a  litter  of  boughs,  but  Walter  would  not 
allow  it. 

"I  would  not  tarry  an  instant,"  he  said,  "for 
Edith  will  be  full  of  anxiety  until  I  return.  Why, 
Ealph,  do  you  think  that  I  am  a  baby  ?  Why,  you 
yourself  were  but  this  morning  unable  to  walk 
across  the  room,  and  here  you  have  been  galloping 
and  fighting  on  my  behalf." 

"  In  faith,"  Ealph  said,  smiling,  "  until  now  I  had 
forgotten  that  I  had  been  ill." 

"  You  have  saved  my  life,  Ealph,  you  and  xnj 
friends  here,  whom  I  thank  with  all  my  heart  for 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  321 

what  they  have  done.  I  will  speak  more  to  them 
another  time,  now  I  must  ride  home  with  all 
speed." 

Walter  now  mounted ;  Kalph  took  his  place  on 
one  side  of  him,  and  one  of  his  tenants  on  the 
other,  lest  he  should  be  seized  with  faintness; 
then  at  a  hand-gallop  they  started  back  for  the 
castle. 

Several  women  of  the  village  had,  when  they 
left,  hurried  up  to  the  castle.  They  found  Edith 
lying  insensible  by  the  rope  of  the  alarm-bell,  hav- 
ing fainted  when  she  had  accomplished  her  object. 
They  presently  brought  her  round  ;  as  she  was  now 
suffering  only  from  extreme  weakness,  she  was  laid 
on  a  couch,  and  cordials  and  some  soup  were  given 
to  her.  One  of  the  women  took  her  place  at  the 
highest  window  to  watch  for  the  return  of  any  be- 
longing to  the  expedition. 

Edith  felt  hopeful  as  to  the  result,  for  she  thought 
that  their  assailants  would  not  have  troubled  to 
carry  away  the  body  of  Walter  had  not  life  re- 
mained in  it,  and  she  was  sure  that  Kalph  would 
press  them  so  hotly  that  sooner  or  later  the  abduct- 
ors would  be  overtaken. 

An  hour  and  a  half  passed,  and  then  the  woman 
from  above  ran  down  with  the  news  that  she  could 
see  three  horsemen  galloping  together  toward  the 
castle,  with  a  number  of  others  following  in  con- 
fused order  behind. 

"Then  they  have  found  my  lord,"  Edith  ex- 
claimed joyfully,  "for  Ralph  would  assuredly  not 


322  ^T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

return  so  quickly  had  they  not  done  so.  'Tis  a  good 
sign  that  they  are  galloping,  for  had  they  been 
bearers  of  ill  news  they  would  have  returned  more 
slowly;  look  out  again  and  see  if  they  are  bearing 
one  among  them." 

The  woman,  with  some  of  her  companions,  has- 
tened away,  and  in  two  or  three  minutes  ran  down 
with  the  news  that  Sir  Walter  himself  was  one  of 
the  three  leading  horsemen.  In  a  few  minutes 
Edith  was  clasped  in  her  husband's  arms,  and  their 
joy,  restored  as  they  were  from  the  dead  to  each 
other,  was  indeed  almost  beyond  words. 

The  plague  now  abated  fast  in  Westerham,  only 
two  or  three  more  persons  being  attacked  by  it. 

As  soon  as  Edith  was  sufficiently  recovered  to 
travel  Walter  proceeded  with  her  to  London  and 
there  laid  before  the  king  and  prince  a  complaint 
against  Sir  James  Carnegie  for  his  attempt  upon 
their  lives.  Even  in  the  trance  in  which  she  lay 
Edith  had  recognized  the  voice  which  had  once 
been  so  familiar  to  her.  Walter,  too,  was  able  to 
testify  against  him,  for  the  rough  jolting  on  horse- 
back had  for  awhile  restored  his  consciousness,  and 
he  had  heard  words  spoken,  before  relapsing  into 
insensibility  from  the  continued  bleeding  of  his 
wound,  which  enabled  him  to  swear  to  Sir  James 
Carnegie  as  one  of  his  abductors. 

The  king  instantly  ordered  the  arrest  of  the 
knight,  but  he  could  not  be  found;  unavailing 
search  was  made  in  every  direction,  and  as  nothing 
could  be  heard  of  him  it  was  concluded  that  he  had 


iST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  323 

left  the  kingdom.  He  was  proclaimed  publicly  a 
false  and  villainous  knight,  his  estates  were  con- 
fiscated to  the  crown,  and  he  himself  was  outlawed. 
Then  Walter  and  his  wife  returned  home  and  did 
their  best  to  assist  their  tenants  in  struggling 
through  the  difficulties  entailed  through  the  plague. 

So  terrible  had  been  the  mortality  that  through- 
out England  there  was  a  lack  of  hands  for  field 
work,  crops  rotted  in  the  ground  because  there 
were  none  to  harvest  them,  and  men  able  to  work 
demanded  twenty  times  the  wages  which  had  be- 
fore been  paid.  So  great  was  the  trouble  from  this 
source  that  an  ordinance  was  passed  by  parliament 
enacting  that  severe  punishment  should  be  dealt 
upon  all  who  demanded  wages  above  the  standard 
price,  and  even  more  severe  penalties  inflicted  upon 
those  who  should  consent  to  pay  higher  wages.  It 
was,  however,  many  years  before  England  re- 
covered from  the  terrible  blow  which  had  been 
dealt  her  from  the  pestilence. 

While  Europe  had  been  ravaged  by  pestilence  the 
adherents  of  France  and  England  had  continued 
their  struggle  in  Brittany  in  spite  of  the  terms  of 
the  truce,  and  this  time  King  Edward  was  the  first 
open  aggressor,  granting  money  and  assistance  to 
the  free  companies,  who  pillaged  and  plundered  in 
the  name  of  England.  The  truce  expired  at  the  end 
of  1348,  but  was  continued  for  short  periods.  It 
was,  however,  evident  that  both  parties  were  de- 
termined ere  long  to  recommence  hostilities.  The 
French  collected  large  forces  in  Artois  and  Ficardy^ 


324  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

and  Edward  himself  proceeded  to  Sandwich  to 
organize  there  another  army  for  the  invasion  of 
France. 

Philip  determined  to  strike  the  first  blow,  and, 
before  the  conclusion  of  the  truce,  to  regain  posses- 
sion of  Calais.  This  town  was  commanded  by  a 
Lombard  officer  named  Almeric  of  Pavia.  Free 
communication  existed,  in  consequence  of  the  truce, 
between  Calais  and  the  surrounding  country,  and 
Jeffrey  de  Charny,  the  Grovernor  of  St.  Omer,  and 
one  of  the  commissioners  especially  appointed  to 
maintain  the  truce,  opened  communications  with 
the  Lombard  captain.  Deeming  that  like  most 
mercenaries  he  would  be  willing  to  change  sides 
should  his  interest  to  do  so  be  made  clear,  he  offered 
him  a  large  sum  of  money  to  deliver  the  castle  to 
the  French. 

The  Lombard  at  once  agreed  to  the  project. 
Jeffrey  de  Charny  arranged  to  be  within  a  certain 
distance  of  the  town  on  the  night  of  the  1st  of 
January,  bringing  with  him  sufficient  forces  to  mas- 
ter all  opposition  if  the  way  was  once  opened  to 
the  interior  of  the  town.  It  was  further  agreed 
that  the  money  was  to  be  paid  over  by  a  small 
party  of  French  who  were  to  be  sent  forward  for 
the  purpose  of  examining  the  castle,  in  order  to  in- 
sure the  main  body  against  treachery.  As  a  host- 
age for  the  security  of  the  detachment,  the  son  of 
the  governor  was  to  remain  in  the  hands  of  the 
French  without,  until  the  safe  return  of  the  scout- 
iog  party. 


iST:  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  3^5 

Several  weeks  elapsed  between  the  conclusion  of 
the  agreement  and  the  date  fixed  for  its  execution, 
and  in  the  mean  time  the  Lombard,  either  from  re- 
morse or  from  a  fear  of  the  consequences  which 
might  arise  from  a  detection  of  the  plot  before  its 
execution,  or  from  the  subsequent  vengeance  of  the 
English  king,  disclosed  the  whole  transaction  to 
Edward. 

The  king  bade  him  continue  to  carry  out  his  ar- 
rangements with  De  Charny,  leaving  it  to  him  to 
counteract  the  plot.  Had  he  issued  orders  for  the 
rapid  assembly  of  the  army  the  Erench  would  have 
taken  alarm.  He  therefore  sent  private  messengers 
to  a  number  of  knights  and  gentlemen  of  Kent  and 
Sussex  to  meet  him  with  their  retainers  at  Dover 
on  the  31st  of  December. 

Walter  Avas  one  of  those  summoned,  and  although 
much  surprised  at  the  secrecy  with  which  he  was 
charged,  and  of  such  a  call  being  made  while  the 
truce  with  France  still  existed,  he  repaired  to  Dover 
on  the  day  named,  accompanied  by  Kalph  and  by 
twenty  men,  who  were  all  who  remained  capable  of 
bearing  arms  on  the  estate. 

He  found  the  king  himself  with  the  Black  Prince 
at  Dover,  where  they  had  arrived  that  day.  Sir 
Walter  Manny  was  in  command  of  the  force,  which 
consisted  in  all  of  three  hundred  men-at-arms  and 
six  hundred  archers.  A  number  of  small  boats  had 
been  collected,  and  at  mid-day  on  the  1st  of  Janu- 
ary the  little  expedition  started,  and  arrived  at 
Calais  after  nightfall. 


326  iST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

In  the  chivalrous  spirit  of  the  times  the  king  de- 
termined that  Sir  Walter  Manny  should  continue 
in  command  of  the  enterprise  ;  he  and  the  Black 
Prince,  disguised  as  simple  knights,  fighting  under 
his  banner. 

In  the  mean  time  a  considerable  force  had  been 
collected  at  St.  Omer,  where  a  large  number  of 
knights  and  gentlemen  obeyed  the  summons  of  Jef- 
frey de  Charny.  On  the  night  appointed  they 
marched  for  Calais,  in  number  five  hundred  lances 
and  a  corresponding  number  of  footmen.  They 
reached  the  river  and  bridge  of  Nieullay  a  little 
after  midnight,  and  messengers  were  sent  on  to  the 
governor,  who  was  prepared  to  receive  them.  On 
their  report  De  Charny  advanced  still  nearer  to  the 
town,  leaving  the  bridge  and  passages  to  the  river 
guarded  by  a  large  body  of  cross-bowmen  under  the 
command  of  the  Lord  de  Fiennes  and  a  number  of 
other  knights.  At  a  little  distance  from  the  castle 
he  was  met  by  Almeric  de  Pavia,  who  yielded  his 
son  as  a  hostage  according  to  his  promise,  calculat- 
ing, as  was  the  case,  that  he  would  be  recaptured 
by  the  English.  Then  having  received  the  greater 
portion  of  the  money  agreed  upon,  he  led  a  party 
of  the  French  over  the  castle  to  satisfy  them  of  his 
sincerity.  Upon  receiving  their  report  that  all  was 
quiet  De  Charny  detached  twelve  knights  and  a 
hundred  raen-atarnis  to  take  possession  of  the  castle, 
while  he  himself  waited  at  one  of  the  gates  of  the 
town  with  the  principal  portion  of  his  force. 

No  sooner  had  the  French  entered  the  castle  than 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  327 

the  drawbridge  was  raised.  The  English  soldiers 
poured  out  from  their  places  of  concealment,  and 
the  party  which  had  entered  the  castle  were  forced 
to  la.7  down  their  arms.  In  the  mean  time  the 
Black  Prince  issued  with  a  small  body  of  troops 
from  a  gate  near  the  sea,  while  De  Manny,  with  the 
king  under  his  banner,  marched  by  the  sally-port 
w^hich  led  into  the  fields.  A  considerable  detach- 
ment of  the  division  was  dispatched  to  dislodge  the 
enemy  at  the  bridge  of  Nieullay,  and  the  rest,  joining 
the  party  of  the  Black  Prince,  advanced  rapidly 
upon  the  force  of  Jeffrey  de  Charny,  which,  in  point 
of  numbers,  was  double  their  own  strength. 

Although  taken  in  turn  by  surprise,  the  French 
prepared  steadily  for  the  attack.  De  Charny  ordered 
them  all  to  dismount  and  to  shorten  their  lances  to 
pikes  five  feet  in  length.  The  English  also  dis- 
mounted, and  rushing  forward  on  foot  a  furious  con- 
test commenced.  The  ranks  of  both  parties  were 
soon  broken  in  the  darkness,  and  the  combatants 
separating  into  groups,  a  number  of  separate  battles 
raged  around  the  different  banners. 

For  some  hours  the  tight  was  continued  with  un- 
abating  obstinacy  on  both  sides.  The  king  and  the 
Black  Prince  fought  with  immense  bravery,  their 
example  encouraging  even  those  of  their  soldiers 
who  were  ignorant  of  the  personality  of  the  knights 
who  were  everywhere  in  front  of  the  combat.  King 
Edward  himself  several  times  crossed  swords  with 
the  famous  Eustace  de  Kibaumont,  one  of  the  most 
gallant  knights  in  France.     At  length  toward  day- 


328  ^T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

break  the  king,  with  only  thirty  companions,  found 
himself  again  opposed  to  De  Eibaumont,  with  a 
greatly  superior  force,  and  the  struggle  was  renewed 
between  them. 

Twice  the  king  was  beaten  down  on  one  knee  by 
the  thundering  blows  of  the  French  knight,  twice 
he  rose  and  renewed  the  attack,  until  De  Charny, 
seeing  Sir  Walter  Manny's  banner,  beside  which 
Edward  fought,  defended  by  so  small  a  force,  also 
bore  down  to  the  attack,  and  in  the  struggle 
Edward  was  separated  from  his  opponent. 

The  combat  now  became  desperate  round  the 
king,  and  Sir  Guy  Brian,  who  bore  De  Manny's 
standard,  though  one  of  the  strongest  and  most 
gallant  knights  of  the  day,  could  scarce  keep  the 
banner  erect.  Still  Edward  fought  on,  and  in  the 
excitement  of  the  moment,  forgetting  his  incognito^ 
he  accompanied  each  blow  with  his  customary  war- 
cry — "Edward,  St.  George  I  Edward,  St.  George!" 
At  that  battle-cry,  which  told  the  French  men-at- 
arms  that  the  King  of  England  was  himself  opposed 
to  them,  they  recoiled  for  a  moment.  The  shout 
too  reached  the  ears  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  who 
had  been  fighting  with  another  group.  Calling  his 
knights  around  him  he  fell  upon  the  rear  of  De 
Charny's  party  and  quickly  cleared  a  space  around 
the  king. 

The  fight  was  now  everywhere  going  against  the 
French,  and  the  English  redoubling  their  efforts  the 
victory  was  soon  complete,  and  scarcely  one  French 
knight   left  the  ground  alive   and   free.    In    the 


ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  329 

struggle  Edward  again  encountered  De  Kibaumont, 
who,  separated  from  him  by  the  charge  of  De 
Charny,  had  not  heard  the  king's  war-cry.  The 
conflict  between  them  was  a-  short  one.  The  French 
knight  saw  that  almost  all  his  companions  were 
dead  or  captured,  his  party  completely  defeated, 
and  all  prospects  of  escape  cut  off.  He  therefore 
soon  dropped  the  point  of  his  sword  and  surrendered 
to  his  unknown  adversary.  In  the  mean  time  the 
troops  which  had  been  dispatched  to  the  bridge  of 
Nieullay  had  defeated  the  French  forces  left  to 
guard  the  passage  and  clear  the  ground  toward  St. 
Omer. 

Early  in  the  morning  Edward  entered  Calais  in 
triumph,  taking  with  him  thirty  French  nobles  as 
prisoners,  while  two  hundred  more  remained  dead 
on  the  field.  That  evening  a  great  banquet  was 
held,  at  which  the  French  prisoners  were  present. 
The  king  presided  at  the  banquet,  and  the  French 
nobles  were  waited  upon  by  the  Black  Prince  and 
his  knights.  After  the  feast  was  concluded  the  king 
bestowed  on  De  Kibaumont  the  chaplet  of  pearls 
which  he  wore  round  his  crown,  hailing  him  as  the 
most  gallant  of  the  knights  who  had  that  day 
fought,  and  granting  him  freedom  to  return  at  once 
to  his  friends,  presenting  him  with  two  horses,  and 
a  purse  to  defray  his  expenses  to  the  nearest  French 
town. 

De  Charny  was  afterward  ransomed,  and  after 
his  return  to  France  assembled  a  body  of  troops 
and  attacked  the  castle  which  Edward  had  bestowed 


330  S^-  (GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

upon  Almeric  of  Pavia,  and  capturing  the  Lombard, 
carried  him  to  St.  Omer,  and  had  him  there  publicly 
flayed  alive  as  a  punishment  for  his  treachery. 

Walter  had  as  usual  fought  by  the  side  of  the 
Prince  of  Wales  throughout  the  battle  of  Calais,  and 
had  much  distinguished  himself  for  his  valor.  Ealph 
was  severely  wounded  in  the  fight,  but  was  able  a 
month  later  to  rejoin  Walter  in  England. 

The  battle  of  Calais  and  the  chivalrous  bearing 
of  the  king  created  great  enthusiasm  and  delight  in 
England,  and  did  much  to  rouse  the  people  from 
the  state  of  grief  into  which  they  had  been  cast  by 
the  ravages  of  the  plague.  The  king  did  his  utmost 
to  maintain  the  spirit  which  had  been  evoked,  and 
the  foundation  of  the  order  of  the  Garter,  and  the 
erection  of  a  splendid  chapel  at  Windsor,  and  its 
dedication,  with  great  ceremony,  to  St.  George,  the 
patron  saint  of  England,  still  further  raised  the 
renown  of  the  court  of  Edward  throughout  Europe 
as  the  center  of  the  chivalry  of  the  age. 

Notwithstanding  many  treaties  which  had  taken 
place,  and  the  near  alliance  which  had  been  well- 
nigh  carried  out  between  the  royal  families  of 
England  and  Spain,  Spanish  pirates  had  never 
ceased  to  carry  on  a  series  of  aggressions  upon  the 
English  vessels  trading  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay. 
Ships  were  every  day  taken,  and  the  crews  cruelly 
butchered  in  cold  blood.  Edward's  remonstrances 
proved  vain,  and  when  threats  of  retaliation  were 
held  out  by  Edward,  followed  by  preparations  to 
carry   those  threats  into  effect,  Pedro  the  Cruel, 


ST.  GEOnQE  FOB  ENaLAMD.  U\ 

who  had  now  succeeded  to  the  throne  of  Spain,  dis- 
patched strong  reenforcements  to  the  fleet  which 
had  already  swept  the  English  Channel. 

The  great  Spanish  fleet  sailed  north,  and  captur- 
ing on  its  way  a  number  of  English  merchantmen, 
put  into  Sluys,  and  prepared  to  sail  back  in  triumph 
w^ith  the  prizes  and  merchandise  it  had  captured. 
Knowing,  however,  that  Edward  was  preparing  to 
oppose  them,  the  Spaniards  filled  up  their  comple- 
ment of  men,  strengthened  themselves  by  all  sorts 
of  the  war  machines  then  in  use,  and  started  on 
their  return  for  Spain  with  one  of  the  most  power- 
ful armadas  that  had  ever  put  to  sea. 

Edward  had  collected  on  the  coast  of  Sussex  a 
fleet  intended  to  oppose  them,  and  had  summoned 
all  the  military  forces  of  the  south  of  England  to 
accompany  him  ;  and  as  soon  as  he  heard  that  the 
Spaniards  were  about  to  put  to  sea  he  set  out  for 
Win  Chelsea,  where  the  fleet  was  collected. 

The  queen  accompanied  him  to  the  sea-coast,  and 
the  Black  Prince,  now  in  his  twentieth  year,  was 
appointed  to  command  one  of  the  largest  of  the 
English  vessels. 

The  fleet  put  to  sea  when  they  heard  that  the 
Spaniards  had  started,  and  the  hostile  fleets  were 
soon  in  sight  of  each  other.  The  number  of  fight- 
ing men  on  board  the  Spanish  ships  was  ten  times 
those  of  the  English,  and  their  vessels  were  of 
vastly  superior  size  and  strength.  They  had,  more- 
over, caused  their  ships  to  be  fitted  at  Sluys  with 
large  wooden  towers,  which   furnished  a  command- 


332  ST.  QEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

ing  position  to  their  cross-bowmen.  The  wind  was 
direct  in  their  favor,  and  they  could  have  easily 
avoided  the  contest,  but,  confiding  in  their  enor- 
mously superior  force,  they  sailed  boldly  forward  to 
the  attack. 

The  king  himself  led  the  English  line,  and  direct- 
ing his  vessel  toward  a  large  Spanish  ship,  en- 
deavored to  run  her  down.  The  shock  was 
tremendous,  but  the  enemy's  vessel  was  stronger 
as  well  as  larger  than  that  of  the  king ;  and  as  the 
two  ships  recoiled  from  each  other  it  was  found  that 
the  water  was  rushing  into  the  English  vessel,  and 
that  she  was  rapidly  sinking.  The  Spaniard  passed 
on  in  the  confusion,  but  the  king  ordered  his  ship  to 
be  instantly  laid  alongside  another  which  was  fol- 
lowing her,  and  to  be  firmly  lashed  to  her.  Then 
with  his  knights  he  sprang  on  board  the  Spaniard, 
and  after  a  short  but  desperate  fight  cut  down  or 
drove  the  crew  overboard.  The  royal  standard  v^  as 
hoisted  on  the  prize,  the  sinking  English  vessel  was 
cast  adrift,  and  the  king  sailed  on  to  attack  another 
adversary. 

The  battle  now  raged  on  all  sides.  The  English 
strove  to  grapple  with  and  board  the  enemy,  while 
the  Spaniards  poured  upon  them  a  shower  of  bolts 
and  quarrels  from  their  cross-bows,  hurled  immense 
masses  of  stone  from  their  military  engines,  and,  as 
they  drew  alongside,  cast  into  them  heavy  bars  of 
iron,  which  pierced  holes  in  the  bottom  of  the 
ship. 

Walter  was   on   board  the  ship  commanded  by 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  333 

the  Black  Prince.  This  had  been  steered  toward 
one  of  the  largest  and  most  important  of  the 
Spanish  vessels.  As  they  approached,  the  engines 
poured  their  missiles  into  them.  Several  great 
holes  were  torn  in  the  sides  of  the  ship,  which  was 
already  sinking  as  she  came  alongside  her  foe. 

*'  We  must  do  our  best,  Sir  Walter,"  the  prince 
exlcaimed,  "  for  if  we  do  not  capture  her  speedily 
our  ship  will  assuredly  sink  beneath  our  feet." 

The  Spaniard  stood  far  higher  above  the  water 
than  the  English  ship,  and  the  Black  Prince  and  his 
knights  in  vain  attempted  to  climb  her  sides,  while 
the  seamen  strove  with  pumps  and  buckets  to  keep 
the  vessel  afloat.     Every  effort  was  in  vain.     The 
Spaniard's  men-at-arms  lined  the  bulwarks,  and  re- 
pulsed every  effort  made  by  the   English  to  climb 
up  them,  while  those  on  the  towers  rained  down 
showers  of  bolts  and  arrows  and  masses  of  iron  and 
stone.     The  situation  was  desperate,  when  the  Earl 
of  Lancaster,  passing  by  in  his  ship,  saw  the  peril  to 
which  the  prince  was  exposed,  and,  ranging  up  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Spaniard,  strove  to  board  her 
there.     The  attention  of  the  Spaniards  being  thus 
distracted,  the  prince   and   his   companions    made 
another  desperate  effort,  and  succeeded  in  winning 
their  way  on  to  the  deck  of 'the  Spanish  ship  just  as 
their  own  vessel   sank  beneath  their  feet ;  after  a 
few   minutes'  desperate  fighting   the  Spanish  ship 
was  captured. 

The  English  were  now  everywhere   getting  the 
best  of  their  enemies.     Many  of  the  Spanish  vessels 


334  S!t.  GilonGE  FOB  BNQLAm. 

had  been  captured  or  sunk,  and  after  the  fight  had 
raged  for  some  hours,  the  rest  began  to  disperse  and 
seek  safety  in  flight.  The  English  vessel  com- 
manded by  Count  Robert  of  Namur  had  toward 
night  engaged  a  Spanish  vessel  of  more  than  twice 
its  ow^n  strength.  His  adversaries,  seeing  that  the 
day  was  lost,  set  all  sail,  but  looking  upon  the  little 
vessel  beside  them  as  a  prey  to  be  taken  possession 
of  at  their  leisure,  they  fastened  it  tightly  to  their 
sides  by  the  grappling-irons,  and  spreading  all  sail, 
made  away.  The  count  and  his  men  were  unable 
to  free  themselves,  and  ^vere  being  dragged  away, 
when  a  follower  of  the  count  named  Hennekin 
leaped  suddenly  on  board  the  Spanish  ship.  With 
a  bound  he  reached  the  mast,  and  with  a  single 
blow  with  his  sword  cut  the  halyards  which  sup- 
ported the  main-sail.  The  sail  fell  at  once.  The 
Spaniards  rushed  to  the  spot  to  repair  the  disaster 
which  threatened  to  delay  their  ship.  The  count 
and  his  followers,  seeing  the  bulwarks  of  the 
Spanish  vessel  for  the  moment  unguarded,  poured 
in,  and  after  a  furious  conflict  captured  the  vessel. 
By  this  time  twenty-four  of  the  enemy's  vessels  had 
been  tajien,  the  rest  w^ere  either  sunk  or  in  full 
flight,  and  Edward  at  once  returned  to  the  English 
shore. 

The  fight  had  taken  place  within  sight  of  land, 
and  Queen  Philippa,  from  the  windows  of  the  abbey, 
which  stood  on  rising  ground,  had  seen  the  ap- 
proach of  the  vast  Spanish  fleet,  and  had  watched 
the  conflict  until  night  fell.     She  remained  in  sus- 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  335 

pense  as  to  the  result  until  the  king  himself,  with 
the  Black  Prince  and  Prince  John,  afterward 
known  as  John  of  Gaunt,  who,  although  but  ten 
years  of  age,  had  accompanied  the  Black  Prince  in 
his  ship,  rode  up  with  the  news  of  the  victory. 

This  great  sea-fight  was  one  of  the  brightest  and 
most  honorable  in  the  annals  of  English  history,  for 
not  even  in  the  case  of  that  other  great  Spanish 
Armada  which  suffered  defeat  in  English  waters 
were  the  odds  so  immense  or  the  victory  so  thor- 
ough and  complete.  The  result  of  the  fight  was 
that  after  some  negotiations  a  truce  of  twenty  years 
was  concluded  with  Spain. 


336  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

POITIEKS. 

After  the  great  sea-fight  at  the  end  of  August, 
1350,  England  had  peace  for  some  years.  Philip  of 
France  had  died  a  week  before  that  battle,  and  had 
been  succeeded  b}'^  his  son  John,  Duke  of  Normandy. 
Upon  the  part  of  both  countries  there  was  an  indis- 
position to  renew  the  war,  for  their  power  had  been 
vastly  crippled  by  the  devastations  of  the  plague. 
This  was  followed  by  great  distress  and  scarcity, 
owing  to  the  want  of  labor  to  till  the  fields.  The 
truce  was  therefore  continued  from  time  to  time ; 
the  pope  strove  to  convert  the  truce  into  a  perma- 
nent peace,  and  on  the  28th  of  August,  1354,  a  num- 
ber of  the  prelates  and  barons  of  England,  with  full 
power  to  arrange  terms  of  peace,  went  to  Avignon, 
where  they  were  met  by  the  French  representatives. 
The  powers  committed  to  the  English  commissioners 
show  that  Edward  was  at  this  time  really  desirous 
of  making  a  permanent  peace  with  France  ;  but  the 
French  ambassadors  raised  numerous  and  unexpect- 
ed difficulties,  and  after  lengthened  negotiations  the 
conference  was  broken  off. 

The  truce  came  to  an  end  in  June,  1355,  and  great 


8T,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  33? 

preparations  were  made  on  both  sides  for  the  war. 
The  King  of  England  strained  every  effort  to  fur- 
nish and  equip  an  army  which  was  to  proceed  with 
the  Black  Prince  to  Aquitaine,  of  which  province 
his  father  liad  appointed  him  governor,  and  in  No- 
vember the  prince  sailed  for  Bordeaux  with  the 
advance-guard  of  his  force.  Sir  Walter  Somers  ac- 
companied him.  During  the  years  which  had  passed 
since  the  plague  he  had  resided  principally  upon  his 
estates,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  that  his 
tenants  escaped  the  distress  which  was  general 
through  the  country.  He  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
repairing  to  London  to  take  part  in  the  tournaments 
and  other  festivities ;  but  both  he  and  Edith  pre- 
ferred the  quiet  country  life  to  a  continued  resi- 
dence at  court.  Two  sons  had  now  been  born  to 
him,  and  fond  as  he  was  of  the  excitement  and  ad- 
venture of  war,  it  was  with  deep  regret  that  he 
obeyed  the  royal  summons,  and  left  his  house  with 
his  retainers,  consisting  of  twenty  men-at-arms  and 
thirty  archers,  to  join  the  prince. 

Upon  the  Black  Prince's  landing  at  Bordeaux  he 
was  joined  by  the  Gascon  lords,  the  vassals  of  the 
English  crown,  and  for  three  months  marched 
through  and  ravaged  the  districts  adjoining,  the 
French  army,  although  greatly  superior  in  force, 
offering  no  effectual  resistance.  Many  towns  were 
taken,  and  he  returned  at  Christmas  to  Bordeaux 
after  a  campaign  attended  by  a  series  of  unbroken 
successes. 

The  following  spring  the  war  recommenced,  and 


338  8T.  GWRGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

a  diversion  was  effected  by  the  Duke  of  Lancaster, 
who  was  in  command  of  Brittany,  joining  his  forces 
with  those  of  the  King  of  Navarre  and  many  of 
the  nobles  of  Normandy,  while  King  Edward  crossed 
to  Calais  and  kept  a  portion  of  the  French  army 
occupied  there.  The  Black  Prince,  leaving  the 
principal  part  of  his  forces  under  the  command  of 
the  Earl  of  Albret  to  guard  the  territory  alread}^ 
acquired  against  the  attack  of  the  French  army 
under  the  Count  of  Armagnac,  marched  with  two 
thousand  picked  men-at-arms  and  six  thousand  arch- 
ers into  Auvergne,  and  thence  turning  into  Berry, 
marched  to  the  ofates  of  Bouro^es. 

The  King  of  France  was  now  thoroughly  alarmed, 
and  issued  a  general  call  to  all  his  vassals  to  as- 
semble on  the  Loire.  The  Prince  of  Wales,  finding 
immense  bodies  of  men  closing  in  around  him,  fell 
back  slowly,  capturing  and  leveling  to  the  ground 
the  strong  castle  of  Eomorentin. 

The  King  of  France  was  now  hastening  forward, 
accompanied  by  his  four  sons,  one  hundred  and  forty 
nobles  with  banners,  twenty  thousand  men-at-arms, 
and  an  immense  force  of  infantry.  Yast  accessions  of 
forces  joined  him  each  day,  and  on  the  17th  of  Sep- 
tember he  occupied  a  position  between  the  Black 
Prince  and  Guienne.  The  first  intimation  that  either 
the  Black  Prince  or  the  King  of  France  had  of  their 
close  proximity  to  each  other  was  an  accidental 
meeting  between  a  small  foraging  force  of  the 
English  and  three  hundred  French  horse,  under 
the  command  of  the  Counts  of  Auxerre  and  Joigny, 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  339 

the  Marshal  of  Burgundy,  and  the  Lord  of  Chatil- 
lon.  The  French  hotly  pursued  the  little  English 
party,  and  on  emerging  from  some  low  bushes  found 
themselves  in  the  midst  of  the  English  camp,  where 
all  were  taken  prisoners.  From  them  the  Black 
Prince  learned  that  the  King  of  France  was  within 
a  day's  march. 

The  prince  dispatched  the  Captal  de  Buch  with 
two  hundred  men-at-arms  to  reconnoiter  the  force 
and  position  of  the  enemy,  and  these  coming  upon 
the  rear  of  the  French  army  just  as  they  were 
about  to  enter  Poitiers,  dashed  among  them  and 
took  some  prisoners.  The  King  of  France  thus  first 
learned  that  the  enemy  he  was  searching  for  was 
actually  six  miles  in  his  rear.  The  Captal  de  Buch 
and  his  companions  returned  to  the  Black  Prince, 
and  confirmed  the  information  obtained  from  the 
prisoners  that  the  King  of  France,  with  an  army  at 
least  eight  times  as  strong  as  his  own,  lay  between 
him  and  Poitiers. 

The  position  appeared  well-nigh  desperate,  but 
the  prince  and  his  most  experienced  knights  at  once 
reconnoitered  the  country  to  choose  the  best  ground 
upon  which  to  do  battle.  An  excellent  position  was 
chosen.  It  consisted  of  rising  ground  commanding 
the  country  toward  Poitiers,  and  naturally  defended 
by  the  hedges  of  a  vineyard.  It  w^as  only  accessible 
from  Poitiers  by  a  sunken  road  flanked  by  banks 
and  fences,  and  but  wide  enough  to  admit  of  four 
horsemen  riding  abreast  along  it.  The  ground  on 
either  side  of  this  hollow  way  was  rough  and  broken 


340  ST.  GEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

SO  as  to  impede  the  movements  even  of  infantry,  and 
to  render  the  maneuvers  of  a  large  body  of  cavalry 
nearly  impracticable.  On  the  left  of  the  position 
was  a  little  hamlet  called  Maupertuis.  Here  on  the 
night  of  Saturday,  the  17th  of  September,  the  prince 
encamped,  and  early  next  morning  made  his  dispo- 
sitions for  the  battle.  His  whole  force  was  dis- 
mounted and  occupied  the  high  ground ;  a  strong 
body  of  archers  lined  the  hedges  on  either  side  of 
the  sunken  road ;  the  main  body  of  archers  were 
drawn  up  in  their  usual  formation  on  the  hillside, 
their  front  covered  by  the  hedge  of  the  vineyard, 
while  behind  them  the  men-at-arms  were  drawn 
up. 

The  King  of  France  divided  his  army  into  three 
divisions,  each  consisting  of  sixteen  thousand  mount- 
ed men-at-arms  besides  infantry,  commanded  re- 
spectively by  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  the  king's 
brother,  the  dauphin,  and  the  king  himself.  With 
the  two  royal  princes  were  the  most  experienced  of 
the  French  commanders.  In  the  mean  time  De 
Ribaumont,  with  three  other  French  knights,  re- 
connoitered  the  English  position,  and  on  their  return 
with  their  report  strongly  advised  that  as  large 
bodies  of  cavalry  would  be  quite  useless  owing  to 
the  nature  of  the  ground,  the  whole  force  should 
dismount,  except  three  hundred  picked  men  destined 
to  break  the  line  of  English  archers  and  a  small 
body  of  German  horse  to  act  as  a  reserve. 

Just  as  the  King  of  France  was  about  to  give 
orders  for  the  advance,  the  Cardinal  of  Perigord 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  341 

arrived  in  his  camp,  anxious  to  stop,  if  possible,  the 
effusion  of  blood.  He  hurried  to  the  King  of 
France. 

"  You  have  here,  sire,"  he  said,  "  the  flower  of  all 
the  chivalry  of  your  realm  assembled  against  a 
mere  handful  of  English,  and  it  will  be  far  more 
honorable  and  profitable  for  you  to  have  them  in 
your  power  without  battle  than  to  risk  such  a  noble 
array  in  uncertain  strife.  I  pray  you,  then,  in  the 
name  of  God,  to  let  me  ride  on  to  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  to  show  him  his  peril,  and  to  exhort  him  to 
peace." 

"  Willingly,  my  lord,"  the  king  replied ;  "  but 
above  all  things  be  quick." 

The  cardinal  at  once  hastened  to  the  English 
camp ;  he  found  the  Black  Prince  in  the  midst  of 
his  knights  ready  for  battle,  but  by  no  means  un- 
willing to  listen  to  proposals  for  peace.  His  posi- 
tion was  indeed  most  perilous.  In  his  face  was  an 
enormously  superior  army,  and  he  was,  moreover, 
threatened  by  famine ;  even  during  the  two  preced- 
ing days  his  army  had  suffered  from  a  great  scar- 
city of  forage,  and  its  provisions  were  almost  wholly 
exhausted.  The  French  force  was  sufficiently 
numerous  to  blockade  him  in  his  camp,  and  he 
knew  that  did  they  adopt  that  course  he  must  sur- 
render unconditionally,  since  were  he  forced  to  sally 
out  and  attack  the  French  no  valor  could  com- 
pensate for  the  immense  disparity  of  numbers.  He 
therefore  replied  at  once  to  the  cardinal's  applica- 
tion  that  he  was  ready  to  listen  to  any  terms  by 


342  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

which  his  honor  and  that  of  his  companions  would 
be  preserved. 

The  cardinal  returned  to  the  King  of  France,  and 
with  much  entreaty  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  truce 
until  sunrise  on  the  following  morning.  The  sol- 
diers returned  to  their  tents,  and  the  cardinal  rode 
backward  and  forward  between  the  armies,  beseech- 
ing the  King  of  France  to  moderate  his  demands, 
and  the  Black  Prince  to  submit  to  the  evil  fortune 
which  had  befallen  him  ;  but  on  the  one  side  the 
king  looked  upon  the  victory  certain,  and  on  the 
other  the  Black  Prince  thought  that  there  was 
at  least  a  hope  of  success  should  the  French  attack 
him.  All,  therefore,  that  the  cardinal  could  obtain 
from  him  was  an  offer  to  resign  all  he  had  captured 
in  his  expedition,  towns,  castles,  and  prisoners,  and 
to  take  an  oath  not  to  bear  arms  again  against 
France  for  seven  years.  This  proposal  fell  so  far 
short  of  the  demands  of  the  French  king  that  paci- 
fication soon  appeared  hopeless. 

Early  on  the  Monday  morning  the  cardinal  once 
more  sought  the  presence  of  the  French  king,  but 
found  John  inflexible;  while  some  of  the  leaders, 
who  had  viewed  with  the  strongest  disapproval  his 
efforts  to  snatch  what  they  regarded  as  certain  vic- 
tory from  their  hands,  gave  him  a  peremptory 
warning  not  to  show  himself  again  in  their  lines. 

The  prelate  then  bore  the  news  of  his  failure 
to  the  Prince  of  Wales.  "Fair  son,"  he  said,  "do 
the  best  you  can,  for  you  must  needs  fight,  as  I  can 
find  no  means  of  peace  or  amnesty  with  the  King 
of  France." 


ST.  OEOUGE  POB  ENGLAND.  343 

"Be  it  SO,  good  father,"  the  prince  replied  ;  ''  it  is 
our  full  resolve  to  fight,  and  God  will  aid  the 
right." 

The  delay  which  had  occurred  had  not  been  with- 
out advantages  for  the  British  army,  although  the 
shortness  of  provisions  was  greatly  felt.  Every 
effort  had  been  made  to  strengthen  the  position. 
Deep  trenches  had  been  dug  and  palisades  erected 
around  it,  and  the  carts  and  baggage  train  had  all 
been  moved  round  so  as  to  form  a  protection  on  the 
weakest  side  of  the  camp,  where  also  a  rampart  had 
been  constructed. 

Upon  a  careful  examination  of  the  ground  it  was 
found  that  the  hill  on  the  right  side  of  the  camp 
was  less  difficult  than  had  been  supposed,  and  that 
the  dismounted  men-at-arms  who  lay  at  its  foot 
under  the  command  of  the  dauphin  would  find  little 
difficulty  in  climbing  it  to  the  assault.  The  prince 
therefore  gave  orders  that  three  hundred  men-at- 
arms  and  three  hundred  mounted  archers  should 
make  a  circuit  from  the  rear  round  the  base  of  the 
hill,  in  order  to  pour  in  upon  the  flank  of  the 
dauphin's  division  as  soon  as  they  became  disor- 
dered in  the  ascent.  The  nature  of  the  ground  con- 
cealed this  maneuver  from  the  enemies*  view,  and 
the  Captal  de  Buch,  who  was  in  command  of  the 
party,  gained  unperceived  the  cover  of  a  wooded 
ravine  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the  left  flank 
of  the  enemy.  By  the  time  that  all  these  disposi- 
tions were  complete  the  huge  French  array  was 
moving  forward.  The  Black  Prince,  surrounded 
by  his  knights,  viewed  them  approaching. 


344  ST.  GEORGE  FOE  ENGLAND. 

"  Fair  lords,"  he  said,  "  though  we  be  so  few 
against  that  mighty  power  of  enemies,  let  us  not  be 
disma3^ed,  for  strength  and  victory  lie  not  in  multi- 
tudes, but  in  those  to  whom  God  give  them.  If  he 
will  the  day  be  ours,  then  the  highest  glory  of  this 
world  will  be  given  to  us.  If  we  die,  I  have  the 
noble  lord,  my  father,  and  two  fair  brothers,  and 
you  have  each  of  you  many  a  good  friend  who  wiU 
avenge  us  well ;  thus,  then,  I  pray  you  fight  well 
this  day,  and  if  it  please  God  and  St.  George  I  will 
also  do  the  part  of  a  good  knight." 

The  prince  then  chose  Sir  John  Chandos  and  Sir 
James  Audley  to  remain  by  his  side  during  the  con- 
flict in  order  to  afford  him  counsel  in  case  of  need. 
Audley,  however,  pleaded  a  vow  which  he  had 
made  long  before,  to  be  the  first  in  battle  should  he 
ever  be  engaged  under  the  command  of  the  King 
of  England  or  any  of  his  children.  The  prince  at 
once  acceded  to  his  request  to  be  allowed  to  fight 
in  the  van,  and  Audley,  accompanied  by  four  chosen 
squires,  took  his  place  in  front  of  the  English  line 
of  battle.  N^ot  far  from  him,  also  in  advance  of  the 
line,  was  Sir  Eustace  d'Ambrecicourt  on  horseback, 
also  eager  to  distinguish  himself. 

As  Sir  James  rode  off  the  prince  turned  to  Wal- 
ter. "  As  Audley  must  needs  fight  as  a  knight- 
errant,  Sir  Walter  Somers,  do  you  take  your  place 
by  my  side,  for  there  is  no  more  valiant  knight  in 
my  army  than  you  have  often  proved  yourself  to 
be." 

Three    hundred     chosen     French^' men-at-arms, 


ST.  QEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND.  345 

mounted  on  the  strongest  horses,  covered  with 
steel  armor,  led  the  way  under  the  command  of 
the  Marechals  d'^udeham  and  De  Clermont ;  while 
behind  them  were  a  large  body  of  German  cavalry 
under  the  Counts  of  Nassau,  Saarbruck,  and  Nidau, 
to  support  them  in  their  attack  on  the  English 
archers.  On  the  right  was  the  Duke  of  Orleans 
with  sixteen  thousand  men-at-arms;  on  the  left  the 
dauphin  and  his  two  brothers  with  an  equal  force ; 
while  King  John  himself  led  on  the  rear-guard. 

When  the  three  hundred  elite  of  the  French 
army  reached  the  narrow  way  between  the  hedges, 
knowing  that  these  were  lined  with  archers  they 
charged  through  at  a  gallop  to  fall  upon  the  main 
body  of  bowmen  covering  the  front  of  the  English 
men-at-arms.  The  moment  they  were  fairly  in  the 
hollow  road  the  British  archers  rose  on  either  side 
to  their  feet  and  poured  such  a  flight  of  arrows 
among  them  that  in  an  instant  all  was  confusion 
and  disarray.  Through  every  joint  and  crevice  of 
the  armor  of  knights  and  horses  the  arrows  found 
their  way,  and  the  lane  was  almost  choked  with  the 
bodies  of  men  and  horses.  A  considerable  number, 
nevertheless,  made  their  way  through  and  ap- 
proached the  first  line  of  archers  beyond. 

Here  they  were  met  by  Sir  James  Audley,  who, 
with  his  four  squires,  plunged  into  their  ranks  and 
overthrew  the  Marechal  d'Audeham,  and  then 
fought  his  way  onward.  Regardless  of  the  rest  of 
the  battle  he  pressed  ever  forward,  until  at  the  end 
of  the  day,  wounded  in  a  hundred  places  and  faint- 


346  ST.  GEOBOE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

ino'  from  loss  of  blood,  he  fell  from  his  horse  almost 
at  the  gates  of  Poitiers,  and  was  borne  from  the 
field  by  the  four  faithful  squires  who  had  fought 
beside  him  throughout  the  day. 

Less  fortunate  was  Sir  Eustace  d'Ambrecicourt, 
who  spurred  headlong  upon  the  German  cavalry. 
A  German  knight  rode  out  to  meet  him,  and  in  the 
shock  both  were  dishorsed,  but  before  Sir  Eustace 
could  recover  his  seat  he  was  borne  down  to  the 
ground  by  four  others  of  the  enemy,  and  was  bound 
and  carried  captive  to  the  rear. 

In  the  mean  time  the  English  archers  kept  up 
their  incessant  hail  of  arrows  upon  the  band  under 
the  French  marshals.  The  English  men-at-arms 
passed  through  the  gaps  purposely  left  in  the  line 
of  archers  and  drove  back  the  front  rank  of  the 
enemy  upon  those  following,  chasing  them  headlong 
down  the  hollow  road  again.  The  few  survivors  of 
the  French  force,  galloping  back,  carried  confusion 
into  the  advancing  division  of  the  dauphin.  Before 
order  was  restored  the  Captal  de  Buch  with  his 
six  hundred  men  issued  forth  from  his  place  of 
concealment  and  charged  impetuously  down  on  the 
left  flank  of  the  dauphin. 

The  French,  shaken  in  front  by  the  retreat  of 
their  advance-guard,  were  thrown  into  extreme 
confusion  by  this  sudden  and  unexpected  charge. 
The  horse  archers  with  the  captal  poured  their 
arrows  into  the  mass,  while  the  shafts  of  the  main 
body  of  the  archers  on  the  hill  hailed  upon  them 
without  ceasing. 


ST.  OEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND.  347 

The  rumor  spread  among  those  in  the  French 
rear,  who  were  unable  to  see  what  was  going 
forward,  that  the  day  was  already  lost,  and  many 
began  to  fly.  Sir  John  Chandos  marked  the 
confusion  which  had  set  in,  and  he  exclaimed  to 
the  prince : 

"  ISTow,  sir,  ride  forward,  and  the  day  is  yours. 
Let  us  charge  right  over  upon  your  adversary,  the 
King  of  France,  for  there  lies  the  labor  and  the 
feat  of  the  day.  Well  do  I  know  that  his  great 
courage  will  never  let  him  flj^  but,  God  willing,  he 
shall  be  well  encountered." 

"  Forward,  then,  John  Chandos,"  replied  the 
prince.  "  You  shall  not  see  me  tread  one  step  back, 
but  ever  in  advance.  Bear  on  my  banner.  God 
and  St.  George  be  with  us  !" 

The  horses  of  the  English  force  were  all  held  in 
readiness  by  their  attendants  close  in  their  rear. 
Every  man  sprang  into  his  saddle,  and  with 
leveled  lances  the  army  bore  down  the  hill  against 
the  enemy,  while  the  Captal  de  Buch  forced  his 
way  through  the  struggling  ranks  of  the  French  to 
join  them. 

To  these  two  parties  were  opposed  the  whole  of 
the  German  cavalry,  the  division  of  the  dauphin, 
now  thinned  by  flight,  and  a  sti;'ong  force  under  the 
Constable  de  Brienne,  Duke  of  Athens.  The  first 
charge  of  the  English  w^as  directed  against  the 
Germans,  the  remains  of  the  marshal's  forces,  and 
that  commanded  by  the  constable.  The  two  bodies 
of  cavalry  met  with  a  tremendous  shock,  raising 


348  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

their  respective  war-cries,  "  Denis  Mount  Joye !" 
and  *'  St.  George  Guyenne !"  Lances  were  shivered, 
and  horses  and  men  rolled  over,  but  the  German 
horse  were  borne  down  in  every  direction  by  the 
charge  of  the  English  chivalry.  The  Counts  of  Nas- 
sau and  Saarbruck  were  taken,  and  the  rest  driven 
down  the  hill  in  utter  confusion.  The  division  of 
the  Duke  of  Orleans,  a  little  further  down  the  hill 
to  the  right,  were  seized  with  a  sudden  panic,  and 
sixteen  thousand  men-at-arms,  together  with  their 
commander,  fled  without  striking  a  blow. 

Having  routed  the  French  and  German  cavalry 
in  advance,  the  English  now  fell  upon  the  dauphin's 
division.  This  had  been  already  confused  b}^  the 
attacks  of  the  Captal  de  Buch,  and  when  its  leaders 
beheld  the  complete  rout  of  the  marshals  and  the 
Germans,  and  saw  the  victorious  force  galloping 
down  upon  them,  the  responsibility  attached  to  the 
charge  of  the  three  young  princes  overcame  their 
firmness.  The  Lords  of  Landas,  Yaudenay,  and 
St.  Yenant,  thinking  the  battle  lost,  hurried  the 
princes  from  the  field,  surrounded  by  eight  hundred 
lances,  determined  to  place  them  at  a  secure  dis- 
tance, and  then  to  return  and  fight  beside  the  king. 

The  retreat  of  the  princes  at  once  disorganized 
the  force,  but  though  many  fled  a  number  of  the 
nobles  remained  scattered  over  the  field  fighting  in 
separate  bodies  with  their  own  retainers  gathered 
under  their  banners.  Gradually  these  fell  back 
and  took  post  on  the  left  of  the  French  king's 
division.     The  constable  and  the  Duke  of  Bourbon 


•   ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  349 

with  a  large  body  of  knights  and  men-at-arms  also 
opposed  a  firm  front  to  the  advance  of  the 
English. 

The  king  saw  with  indignation  one  of  his  divisions 
defeated  and  the  other  in  coward  flight,  but  his 
forces  were  still  vastly  superior  to  those  of  the 
English,  and  ordering  his  men  to  dismount,  he  pre- 
pared to  receive  their  onset.  The  English  now 
gathered  their  forces,  which  had  been  scattered  in 
combat,  and  again  advanced  to  the  fight.  The 
archers  as  usual  heralded  this  advance  with  showers 
of  arrows,  which  shook  the  ranks  of  the  French  and 
opened  the  way  for  the  cavalry.  These  dashed  in, 
and  the  ranks  of  the  two  armies  became  mixed,  and 
each  man  fought  hand  to  hand.  The  French  king 
fought  on  foot  with  immense  valor  and  bravery,  as 
did  his  nobles.  The  Dukes  of  Bourbon  and  Athens, 
the  Lords  of  Landas,  Argenton,  Chambery,  Join- 
ville,  and  many  others  stood  and  died  near  the 
king. 

Gradually  the  English  drove  back  their  foes.  The 
French  forces  became  cut  up  into  groups  or  confined 
into  narrow  spaces.  Knight  after  knight  fell 
around  the  kfng.  De  Kibaumont  fell  near  him. 
Jeffrey  de  Charny,  who,  as  one  of  the  most  valiant 
knights  in  the  army,  had  been  chosen  to  bear  the 
French  standard,  the  oriflamme,  never ^  left  his 
sovereign's  side,  and  as  long  as  the  sacred  banner 
floated  over  his  head  John  would  not  believe  the 
day  was  lost.  At  length,  however,  Jeffrey  de 
Charny  was  killed,  and  the  oriflamme  fell.     John, 


350  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

surrounded  on  every  side  by  foes  who  pressed 
forward  to  make  him  prisoner,  still  kept  clear  the 
space  immediatel}^  around  himself  and  his  little  son 
with  his  battle-ax  ;  but  at  last  he  saw  that  further 
resistance  would  only  entail  ttie  death  of  both,  and 
he  then  surrendered  to  Denis  de  Montbec,  a  knight 
of  Artois. 

The  battle  was  now  virtually  over.  The  French 
banners  and  pennons  had  disappeared,  and  nothing 
was  seen  save  the  dead  and  dying,  groups  of  prison- 
ers, and  parties  of  fugitives  flying  over  the  country. 
Chandos  now  advised  the  prince  to  halt.  His 
banner  was  pitched  on  the  summit  of  a  little  mound. 
The  trumpets  blew  to  recall  the  army  from  the  pur- 
suit, and  the  prince,  taking  off  his  helmet,  drank 
with  the  little  body  of  knights  who  accompanied 
him  some  wine  brought  from  his  former  encamp- 
ment. 

The  two  marshals  of  the  English  army,  the  Earls 
of  Warwick  and  Suffolk,  were  among  the  first  to  re- 
turn at  the  call  of  the  trumpet.  Hearing  that  King 
John  had  certainly  not  left  the  field  of  battle, 
though  they  knew  not  whether  he  was  dead  or 
taken,  the  prince  at  once  dispatched  the  Earl  of 
Warwick  and  Lord  Cobham  to  find  and  protect  him 
if  still  alive.  They  soon  came  upon  a  mass  of  men- 
at-arms,  seemingly  engaged  in  an  angry  quarrel. 
On  riding  up  they  found  that  the  object  of  strife 
was  the  King  of  France,  who  had  been  snatched 
from  the  hands  of  Montbec,  and  was  being  claimed 
by  a  score  of  men  as  his  prisoner.     The  Earl  of 


ST.  GEOBQE  FOB  ENGLAND,  351 

Warwick  and  Lord  Cobham  instantly  made  their 
way  through  the  mass,  and  dismounting,  saluted  the 
captive  monarch  with  the  deepest  reverence,  and 
keeping  back  the  multitude  led  him  to  the  Prince  of 
Wales.  The  latter  bent  his  knee  before  the  king, 
and  calling  for  wine,  presented  the  cup  with  his  own 
hands  to  the  unfortunate  monarch. 

The  battle  was  over  by  noon,  but  it  was  evening 
before  all  the  pursuing  parties  returned,  and  the  re- 
sult of  the  victory  was  then  fully  known.  With  less 
than  eight  thousand  men  the  English  had  conquered 
far  more  than  sixty  thousand.  On  the  English  side 
two  thousand  men-at-arms  and  fifteen  hun,. 
dred  archers  had  fallen.  Upon  the  French  side 
eleven  thousand  men-at-arms,  besides  an  immense 
number  of  footmen,  had  been  killed.  A  king,  a 
prince,  an  archbishop,  thirteen  counts,  sixty-six 
barons,  and  more  than  two  thousand  knights  were 
prisoners  in  the  hands  of  the  English,  with  a  number 
of  other  soldiers,  who  raised  the  number  of  captives 
to  double  that  of  their  conquerors.  All  the  baggage 
of  the  French  army  was  taken,  and  as  the  barons  of 
France  had  marched  to  the  field  feeling  certain  of 
victory,  and  the  rich  armor  of  the  prisoners  became 
immediately  the  property  of  the  captors,  immense 
stores  of  valuable  ornaments  of  all  kinds,  especially 
jeweled  baldrics,  enriched  the  meanest  soldier 
among  the  conquerors. 

The  helmet  which  the  French  king  had  worn, 
which  bore  a  small  coronet  of  gold  beneath  the 
crest,  was  delivered  to  the  Prince  of  Wales,  who 


352  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

sent  it  off  at  once  to  his  father  as  the  best  trophy  of 
the  battle  he  could  offer  him. 

Its  receipt  was  the  first  intimation  which  Edward 
III.  received  of  the  great  victory. 

As  the  prince  had  no  means  of  providing  for  the 
immense  number  of  prisoners,  the  greater  portion 
were  set  at  libertj^  upon  their  taking  an  oath  to 
present  themselves  at  Bordeaux  by  the  ensuing 
Christmas  in  order  either  to  pay  the  ransom  ap- 
pointed or  to  again  yield  themselves  as  prisoners. 

Immediately  the  battle  was  over  Edward  sent  for 
the  gallant  Sir  James  Audley,  who  was  brought  to 
him  on  his  litter  by  his  esquires,  and  the  prince, 
after  warmly  congratulating  him  on  the  honor  that 
he  had  that  day  won  as  the  bravest  knight  in  the 
army,  assigned  him  an  annuity  of  five  hundred 
marks  a  year. 

No  sooner  was  Audley  taken  to  his  own  tent 
than  he  called  round  him  several  of  his  nearest  re- 
lations and  friends,  and  then  and  there  made  over 
to  his  four  gallant  attendants,  without  power  of 
recall,  the  gift  which  the  prince  had  bestowed  upon 
him.  The  prince  Avas  not  to  be  outdone,  however, 
in  liberality,  and  on  hearing  that  Audley  had  as- 
signed his  present  to  the  brave  men  who  had  so 
gallantly  supported  him  in  the  fight,  he  presented 
Sir  James  with  another  annuity  of  six  hundred 
marks  a  year. 


ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  353 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


THE     J  ACQUERI  E. 


On  the  evening  after  the  battle  of  Poitiers,  a 
splendid  entertainment  was  served  in  the  tent  of 
the  Prince  of  Wales  to  the  King  of  France  and  all 
the  principal  prisoners.  John  with  his  son  and  six 
of  his  highest  nobles  were  seated  at  a  table  raised 
above  the  rest,  and  the  prince  himself  waited  as 
page  upon  the  French  king.  John  in  vain  endeav- 
ored to  persuade  the  prince  to  be  seated  ;  the  latter 
refused,  saying  that  it  was  his  pleasure  as  well  as 
his  duty  to  wait  upon  one  who  had  shown  himself 
to  be  the  best  and  bravest  knight  in  the  French 
army.  The  example  of  the  Black  Prince  was  con- 
tagious, and  the  English  vied  with  each  other  in 
generous  treatment  of  their  prisoners.  All  were 
treated  as  friends,  and  that  night  an  immense  num- 
ber of  knights  and  squires  were  admitted  to 
ransom  on  such  terms  as  had  never  before  been 
known.  The  captors  simpl}^  required  their  pris- 
'oners  to  declare  in  good  faith  what  they  could 
afford  to  pay  without  pressing  themselves  too  hard, 
"  for  they  did  not  wish,"  they  said.  "  to  ransom 
knights  or  squires   on  terms  which  would  prevent 


354  S7\  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

them  from  maintaining  their  station  in  society, 
from  serving  their  lords,  or  from  riding  forth  in 
arms  to  advance  their  name  and  honor." 

Upon  the  following  morning  solemn  thanks- 
givings were  offered  up  on  the  field  of  battle  for  the 
glorious  victory.  Then  the  English  army,  striking 
its  tents,  marched  back  toward  Bordeaux.  They 
were  unmolested  upon  this  march,  for  although  the 
divisions  of  the  dauphin  and  the  Duke  of  Orleans 
had  now  reunited,  and  were  immensely  superior  in 
numbers  to  the  English,  encumbered  as  the  latter 
were,  moreover,  with  prisoners  and  booty,  the 
tremendous  defeat  which  they  had  suffered,  and 
still  more  the  capture  of  the  king,  paralyzed  the 
French  commanders,  and  the  English  reached 
Bordeaux  without  strildng  another  blow. 

Not  long  after  they  reached  that  city  the 
Cardinal  of  Perigord  and  another  legate  presented 
themselves  to  arrange  peace,  and  these  negotiations 
went  on  throughout  the  winter.  The  prince  had 
received  full  powers  from  his  father,  and  bis 
demands  were  very  moderate ;  but  in  spite  of  this 
no  final  peace  could  be  arranged,  and  the  result  of 
the  conference  was  the  proclamation  of  a  truce,  to 
last  for  two  years  from  the  following  Easter. 

During  the  winter  immense  numbers  of  the  pris- 
oners who  had  gone  at  large  upon  patrol  came  in 
and  paid  their  ransoms,  as  did  the  higher  nobles 
who  had  been  taken  prisoners,  and  the  whole  army 
was  greatly  enriched.  At  the  end  of  April  the 
prmce  returned  to  England  with  King  John.     The 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  355 

procession  through  the  streets  of  London  was  a 
magnificent  one,  the  citizens  vying  with  each  other 
in  decorating  their  houses  in  honor  of  the  victor  of 
Poitiers,  who,  simply  dressed,  rode  on  a  small  black 
horse  by  the  side  of  his  prisoner,  who  was  splendidly 
attired,  and  mounted  on  a  superb  white  charger. 
The  king  received  his  royal  prisoner  in  state  in  the 
great  hall  of  his  palace  at  Westminster,  and  did  all 
in  his  power  to  alleviate  the  sorrows  of  his  con- 
dition. The  splendid  palace  of  the  Savoy,  with 
gardens  extending  to  the  Thames,  was  appointed 
for  his  residence,  and  every  means  was  taken  to 
soften  his  captivity. 

During  the  absence  of  the  Black  Prince  in 
Guienne  the  king  had  been  warring  in  Scotland. 
Here  his  success  had  been  small,  as  the  Scotch  had 
retreated  before  him,  wasting  the  country.  David 
Bruce,  the  rightful  king,  was  a  prisoner  in  England, 
and  Baliol,  a  descendant  of  the  rival  of  Kobert 
Bruce,  had  been  placed  upon  the  throne.  As 
Edward  passed  through  Eoxburgh  he  received  from 
Baliol  a  formal  cession  of  all  his  rights  and  titles  to 
the  throne  of  Scotland,  and  in  return  for  this  purely 
nominal  gift  he  bestowed  an  annual  income  upon 
Baliol,  who  lived  and  died  a  pensioner  of  England. 
After  Edward's  return  to  England  negotiations  were 
carried  on  with  the  Scots,  and  a  treaty  was  signed 
by  which  a  truce  for  ten  years  was  established  be- 
tween the  two  countries,  and  the  liberation  of  Bruce 
was  granted  on  a  ransom  of  one  hundred  thousand 
marks. 

The    disorganization     into    which    France    had 


356  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

been  thrown  by  the  capture  of  its  king  increased 
rather  than  diminished.  Among  all  classes  men 
strove  in  the  absence  of  a  repressive  power  to  gain 
advantages  and  privileges.  Serious  riots  occurred 
in  many  parts,  and  the  demagogues  of  Paris, 
headed  by  Stephen  Marcel,  and  Kobert  le  Coq, 
Bishop  of  Leon,  set  at  defiance  the  dauphin  and  the 
ministers  and  lieutenant  of  the  king.  Massacre  and 
violence  stained  the  streets  of  Paris  with  blood. 
General  law,  public  order,  and  private  security 
were  all  lost.  Great  bodies  of  brigands  devastated 
the  country,  and  the  whole  of  France  was  thrown 
into  confusion.  So  terrible  was  the  disorder  that 
the  inhabitants  of  every  village  were  obliged  to 
fortify  the  ends  of  their  streets  and  keep  watch  and 
ward  as  in  the  cities.  The  proprietors  of  land  on 
the  banks  of  rivers  spent  the  nights  in  boats  moored 
in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  and  in  every  house  and 
castle  throughout  the  land  men  remained  armed  as 
if  against  instant  attack. 

Then  arose  the  terrible  insurrection  known  as  the 
Jacquerie.  For  centuries  the  peasantry  of  France 
had  suffered  under  a  bondage  to  which  there  had 
never  been  any  approach  in  England.  Their  lives 
and  liberties  were  wholly  at  the  mercy  of  their 
feudal  lords.  Hitherto  no  attempt  at  resistance  had 
been  possible  ;  but  the  tremendous  defeat  of  the 
French  at  Poitiers  by  a  handful  of  English  aroused 
the  hope  among  the  serfs  that  the  moment  for 
vengeance  had  come.  The  movement  began  among 
a  handful  of  peasants  in   the  neighborhood  of  St. 


ST.  amRGE  FOR  ENGLAND  357 

Leu  and  Claremont.  These  declared  that  they 
would  put  to  death  all  the  gentlemen  in  the  land. 
The  cry  spread  through  the  country.  The  serfs, 
armed  with  pikes,  poured  out  from  every  village, 
and  a  number  of  the  lower  classes  from  the  towns 
joined  them.  Their  first  success  was  an  attack  upon 
a  small  castle.  They  burned  down  the  gates  and 
slew  the  knight  to  whom  it  belonged,  with  his  wife 
and  children  of  all  ages.  Their  numbers  rapidly 
increased.  Castle  after  castle  was  taken  and 
stormed,  palaces  and  houses  leveled  to  the  ground ; 
fire,  plunder,  and  massacre  swept  through  the  fairest 
provinces  of  France.  The  peasants  vied  with  each 
other  in  inventing  deaths  of  fiendish  cruelty  and 
outrage  upon  every  man,  woman,  and  child  of  the 
better  classes  who  fell  into  their  hands. 

Owing  to  the  number  of  nobles  who  had  fallen  at 
Cressy  and  Poitiers,  and  of  those  still  captives  in 
England,  very  many  of  their  wives  and  daughters 
remained  unprotected,  and  these  were  the  especial 
victims  of  the  fiendish  malignity  of  the  peasantr3^ 
Separated  in  '  many  bands,  the  insurgents  marched 
through  the  Beauvolsis,  Soissonois,  and  Yerman- 
dois  ;  and  as  they  approached,  a  number  of  unpro- 
tected ladies  of  the  highest  families  in  France  fled 
to  Meaux,  where  they  remained  under  the  guard  of 
the  young  Duke  of  Orleans  and  a  handful  of  men- 
at-arms. 

After  the  conclusion  of  the  peace  at  Bordeaux, 
Sir  Walter  Somers  had  been  dispatched  on  a  mis- 
sion to  some  of  the  German  princes,  with  whom  the 


358  ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

king  was  in  close  relations.  The  business  was  not 
of  an  onerous  nature,  but  Walter  had  been  detained 
for  some  time  over  it.  He  spent  a  pleasant  time  in 
Germany,  where,  as  an  emissary  of  the  king  and 
one  of  the  victors  of  Poitiers,  the  young  English 
knight  was  made  much  of.  When  he  set  out  on  his 
return  he  joined  the  Captal  de  Buch,  who,  ever 
thirsting  for  adventure,  had  on  the  conclusion  of 
the  truce  gone  to  serve  in  a  campaign  in  Germany ; 
with  him  was  the  French  Count  de  Foix,  who  had 
been  also  serving  throughout  the  campaign. 

On  entering  France  from  the  Rbine  the  three 
knights  were  shocked  at  the  misery  and  ruin  which 
met  their  eyes  on  all  sides.  Every  castle  and  house 
throughout  the  country,  of  a  class  superior  to  those 
of  the  peasants,  was  destroyed,  and  tales  of  the  most 
horrible  outrages  and  murders  met  tiieir  ears. 

u  J  regret,"  the  Count  de  Foix  said  earnestly, 
"that  I  have  been  away  warring  in  Germany,  for 
it  is  clear  that  every  true  knight  is  wanted  at  home 
to  crush  down  these  human  wolves." 

"  Methinks,"  the  captal  rejoined,  "  that  France 
will  do  well  to  invite  the  chivalry  of  all  other  coun- 
tries to  assemble  and  aid  to  put  down  this  horrible 
insurrection." 

"  Ay,"  the  count  said  bitterly  ;  "  but  who  is  to 
speak  in  the  name  of  France  ?  The  dauphin  is  pow- 
erless, and  the  virtual  government  is  in  the  hands 
of  Marcel  and  other  ambitious  traitors  who  hail  the 
doings  of  the  Jacquerie  \\\\\\  delight,  for  these  mad 
peasants  are  doing  their  work  of  destroying  the 
knights  and  nobles." 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  359 

The  villages  through  which  they  passed  were  de- 
serted save  by  women,  and  in  the  small  towns  the 
people  of  the  lower  class  scowled  threateningly  at 
the  three  knights  ;  but  they  with  their  following  of 
forty  men-at-arms,  of  whom  five  were  followers  of 
Walter,  fifteen  of  the  captal,  and  twenty  of  the 
Count  de  Foix,  ventured  not  to  proceed  beyond  evil 
glances. 

"  I  w-ould,'-  De  Foix  said,  "  that  these  dogs  would 
but  lift  a  hand  against  us.  By  St.  Stephen,  we 
would  teach  them  a  rough  lesson  !" 

His  companions  were  of  the  same  mind,  for  all 
w^ere  excited  to  fury  by  the  terrible  tales  which 
they  heard.  All  these  stories  were  new  to  them, 
for  although  rumors  had  reached  Germany  of  the 
outbreak  of  a  peasant  insurrection  in  France,  the 
movement  had  but  just  begun  when  they  started. 
As  far  as  the  frontier  they  had  traveled  leisurely, 
but  they  had  hastened  their  pace  more  and  more  as 
they  learned  how  sore  was  the  strait  of  the  nobles 
and  gentry  of  the  country,  and  how  grievously 
every  good  sword  was  needed.  When  they  reached 
Chalons  they  heard  much  fuller  particulars  than  had 
before  reached  them,  and  learned  that  the  Duchess 
of  l^ormandy,  the  Duchess  of  Orleans,  and  near 
three  hundred  ladies  had  sought  refuge  in  Meaux, 
and  that  they  were  there  guarded  but  by  a  handful 
of  men-at-arms  under  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  while 
great  bands  of  serfs  were  pouring  in  from  all  parts 
of  the  country  round  to  massacre  them. 

Meaux  is  eighty  miles  from  Chalons,  but  the  three 


360  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

knights  determined  to  press  onward  with  all  speed 
in  hopes  of  averting  the  catastrophe.  Allowing 
their  horses  an  hour  or  two  to  rest,  they  rode  for- 
ward, and  pressing  on  without  halt  or  delay,  save 
such  as  was  absolutely  needed  by  the  horses,  they 
arrived  at  Meaux  late  the  following  night,  and  found 
to  their  delight  that  the  insurgents,  although  swarm- 
ing in  iminense  numbers  round  the  town,  had  not 
yet  attacked  it. 

The  arrival  of  the  three  knights  and  their  follow- 
ers was  greeted  with  joy  by  the  ladies.  They,  with 
their  guard,  had  taken  up  their  position  in  the  mar- 
ket-house and  market-place,  which  were  separated 
from  the  rest  of  the  town  by  the  river  Marne,  which 
flows  through  the  city.  A  consultation  was  at  once 
held,  and  it  being  found  that  the  Duke  of  Orleans 
had  but  twenty  men-at-arms  with  him,,  it  was  deter- 
mined that  it  was  impossible  to  defend  the  city 
walls,  but  that  upon  the  following  morning  they 
would  endeavor  to  cut  their  way  with  the  ladies 
through  the  peasant  hosts.  In  the  night,  however, 
an  uproar  was  heard  in  the  city.  The  burghers  had 
risen  and  had  opened  the  gates  to  the  peasants,  who 
now  poured  in  in  thousands.  Every  hour  increased 
their  numbers. 

The  market-place  was  besieged  in  the  morning, 
and  an  hour  or  two  afterward  a  large  body  of  the 
ruffians  of  Paris,  under  the  command  of  a  brutal 
grocer  named  Pierre  Gille,  arrived  to  swell  their 
ranks. 

The  attack  on  the  market-house  continued,  and 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND,  361 

the  Duke  of  Orleans  held  a  consulation  with  the 
three  knights.  It  was  agreed  that  against  such  a 
host  of  enemies  the  market-place  could  not  long  be 
defended,  and  that  their  best  hope  lay  in  sallying 
out  and  falling  upon  the  assailants.  Accordingly  the 
men-at-arms  were  drawn  up  in  order,  with  the  ban- 
ners of  the  Duke  of  Orleans  and  the  Count  de  Foix 
and  the  pennons  of  the  captal  and  Sir  Walter 
Somers  displayed,  the  gates  were  opened,  and  with 
leveled  lances  the  little  party  rode  out.  Hitherto 
nothing  had  been  heard  save  yells  of  anticipated 
triumph  and  fierce  imprecations  and  threats  against 
the  defenders  from  the  immense  multitude  without ; 
but  the  appearance  of  the  orderl}^  ranks  of  the 
knights  and  men-at-arms  as  they  issued  through  the 
gate  struck  a  silence  of  fear  through  the  mass. 

Without  an  instant's  delay  the  knights  and  men- 
at-  arms,  with  leveled  lances,  charged  into  the  multi- 
tude. A  few  attempted  to  fightj  but  more  strove 
to  fly,  as  the  nobles  and  their  followers,  throwing 
away  their  lances,  fell  upon  them  with  sword  and 
battle-ax.  Jammed  up  in  the  narrow  streets  of  a 
small  walled  town,  overthrowing  and  impeding 
each  other  in  their  efforts  to  escape,  trampled  down 
by  the  heavy  horses  of  the  men-at-arms,  and  hewn 
down  by  their  swords  and  battle-axes,  the  in- 
surgents fell  in  vast  numbers.  Multitudes  suc- 
ceeded in  escaping  through  the  gates  into  the  fields ; 
but  here  they  were  followed  by  the  knights  and 
their  retainers,  who  continued  charging  among 
them  and  slaying   till   utter  weariness   compelled 


362  ^T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  . 

them  to  cease  from  the  pursuit  and  return  to  Meaux 
N"ot  less  than  seven  thousand  of  the  insurgents  had 
been   slain  by  the  four  knights  and  fift}^  men,  for 
ten  had  been  left  behind  to  guard  the  gates  of  the 
market-place. 

History  has  no  record  of  so  vast  a  slaughter  by 
so  small  a  body  of  men.  This  terrific  punishment 
put  a  summary  end  to  the  Jacquerie.  Already  in 
other  parts  several  bodies  had  been  defeated,  and 
their  principal  leader,  Caillet,  with  three  thousand 
of  his  followers,  slain  near.  Clermont.  But  the  de- 
feat at  Meaux  was  the  crushing  blow  which  put  an 
end  to  the  insurrection. 

On  their  return  to  the  town  the  knights  executed 
a  number  of  the  burghers  who  had  joined  the 
peasants,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  town  was 
burned  to  the  ground  as  a  punishment  for  having 
opened  the  gates  to  the  peasants  and  united  with 
them. 

The  knights  and  ladies  then  started  for  Paris. 
On  nearing  the  city  they  found  that  it  was  threat- 
ened by  the  forces  of  the  dauphin.  Marcel  had 
strongly  fortified  the  town,  and  with  his  ally,  the 
infamous  King  of  Kavarre,  bade  defiance  to  the 
royal  power.  However,  the  excesses  of  the  dem- 
agogue had  aroused  against  him  the  feeling  of  all 
the  better  class  of  the  inhabitants.  The  King  of 
JSTavarre,  who  was  ready  at  all  times  to  break  his 
oath  and  betray  his  companions,  marched  his  army 
out  of  the  town  and  took  up  a  position"  outside  the 
walls.     He  then  secretly  negotiated  peace  with  the 


JST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND  368 

Duke  of  Normandy,  by  which  he  agreed  to  yield  to 
their  fate  Marcel  and  twelve  of  the  most  obnoxious 
burghers,  ^vhile  at  the  same  time  he  persuaded 
Marcel  that  he  was  still  attached  to  his  interest. 
Marcel,  however,  was  able  to  bid  higher  than  the 
Duke  of  Normandy,  and  he  entered  into  a  new 
treaty  with  the  treacherous  king,  by  which  he 
stipulated  to  deliver  the  city  into  his  hands  during 
the  night.  Every  one  within  the  walls,  except  the 
partisans  of  Marcel,  upon  whose  doors  a  mark  was 
to  be  placed,  were  to  be  put  to  death  indiscriminate- 
ly, and  the  King  of  Navarre  was  to  be  proclaimed 
King  of  France. 

Fortunately  Pepin  des  Essarts  and  John  de 
Charny,  two  loyal  knights  who  were  in  Paris,  ob- 
tained information  of  a  few  minutes  before  the  time 
appointed  for  its  execution.  Arming  themselves 
instantly,  and  collecting  a  few  followers,  they 
rushed  to  the  houses  of  the  chief  conspirators,  but 
found  them  empty.  Marcel  and  his  companions  hav- 
ing already  gone  to  the  gates.  Passing  by  the 
hotel-de-ville,  the  knights  entered,  snatched  down 
the  royal  banner  which  was  kept  there,  and  unfurl- 
ing it  mounted  their  horses  and  rode  through  the 
streets,  calling  all  men  to  arms.  They  reached  the 
Port  St.  Antoine  just  at  the  moment  when  Marcel 
was  in  the  act  of  opening  it  in  order  to  give  admis- 
sion to  the  Navarrese.  When  he  heard  the  shouts 
he  tried  with  his  friends  to  make  his  way  into  the 
bastile,  but  his  retreat  was  intercepted,  and  a  severe 
and  bloody  struggle  took  place   between  the  two 


364  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

parties.  Stephen  Marcel,  however,  was  himselt 
slain  by  Sir  John  de  Charny,  and  almost  all  his 
principal  companions  fell  with  him.  The  inhabit- 
ants then  threw  open  their  gates  and  the  Duke  of 
Normandy  entered. 

Walter  Somers  had,  with  his  companions,  joined 
the  army  of  the  duke  and  placed  his  sword  at  his 
disposal ;  but  when  the  French  prince  entered  Paris 
without  the  necessity  of  fighting,  he  took  leave  of 
him,  and  with  the  captal  returned  to  England. 
Rare,  indeed,  were  the  jewels  which  Walter  brought 
home  to  his  wife,  for  the  three  hundred  noble  ladies 
rescued  at  Meaux  from  dishonor  and  death  had  in- 
sisted upon  bestowing  tokens  of  their  regard  and 
gratitude  upon  the  rescuers,  and  as  many  of  them 
belonged  to  the  richest  as  well  as  the  noblest  fam- 
ilies in  France,  the  presents  which  Walter  thus  re- 
ceived from  the  grateful  ladies  were  of  immense 
value. 

He  was  welcomed  by  the  king  and  Prince  of 
Wales  with  great  honor,  for  the  battle  at  Meaux 
had  excited  the  admiration  and  astonishment  of  all 
Europe.  The  Jacquerie  was  considered  as  a  com- 
mon danger  in  all  civilized  countries  ;  for  if  success- 
ful it  might  have  spread  far  be3^ond  the  boundaries 
of  France,  and  constituted  a  danger  to  chivalry, 
and  indeed  to  society  universally. 

Thus  Kmg  Edward  gave  the  highest  marks  of  his 
satisfaction  to  the  captal  and  Walter,  added  con- 
siderable grants  of  land  to  the  estates  of  the  latter, 
and  raised  him  to  the  dignity  of  Baron  Somers  of 
Westerham. 


1ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  365 

It  has  always  been  a  matter  of  wonder  that  King 
Edward  did  not  take  advantage  of  the  utter  state 
of  confusion  and  anarchy  which  prevailed  in  France 
to  complete  his  conquest  of  that  country,  which 
there  is  no  reasonable  doubt  he  could  have  effected 
with  ease.  Civil  war  and  strife  prevailed  through- 
out France ;  famine  devastated  it ;  and  without 
leaders  or  concord,  dispirited  and  impoverished  by 
defeat,  France  could  have  offered  no  resistance  to 
such  an  army  as  England  could  have  placed  in  the 
field.  The  only  probable  supposition  is  that  at 
heart  he  doubted  whether  the  acquisition  of  the 
crown  of  France  was  really  desirable,  or  whether 
it  could  be  permanently  maintained  should  it  be 
gained.  To  the  monarch  of  a  countr}^  prosperous, 
flourishing,  and  contented  the  object  of  admiration 
throughout  Europe,  the  union  with  distracted  and 
divided  France  could  be  of  no  benefit.  Of  military 
glory  he  had  gained  enough  to  content  any  man, 
and  some  of  the  richest  provinces  of  France  were 
already  his.  Therefore  it  may  well  be  believed 
that,  feeling  secure  very  many  years  must  elapse 
before  France  could  again  become  dangerous,  he 
was  well  content  to  let  matters  continue  as  they 
were. 

King  John  still  remained  a  prisoner  in  his  hands, 
for  the  princes  and  nobles  of  France  were  too  much 
engaged  in  broils  and  civil  wars  to  think  of  raising 
the  money  for  his  ransom,  and  Languedoc  was  the 
only  province  of  France  which  made  any  effort 
whatever  toward  so  doing.  War  still  raged  be- 
tween the  dauphin  and  the  King  of  Kavarre. 


366  ST,  GBOBGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  two  years'  truce  Edward, 
with  the  most  splendidly  equipped  army  which  had 
ever  left  England,  marched  through  the  length  and 
breadth  of  France.  Nowhere  did  he  meet  with  any 
resistance  in  the  field.  He  marched  under  the  walls 
of  Paris,  but  took  no  steps  to  lay  siege  to  that 
city,  which  would  have  fallen  an  easy  prey  to  his 
army  had  he  chosen  to  capture  it.  That  he  did  not 
do  so  is  another  proof  that  he  had  no  desire  to  add 
France  to  the  possessions  of  the  English  crown.  At 
length,  by  the  efforts  of  the  pope,  a  peace  was 
agreed  upon,  by  which  France  yielded  all  Aquitaine 
and  the  town  of  Calais  to  England  as  an  absolute 
possession,  and  not  as  a  fief  of  the  crown  of  France  ; 
while  the  English  king  surrendered  all  his  captures 
in  Normandy  and  Brittany  and  abandoned  his  claim 
to  the  crown  of  France.  With  great  efforts  the 
French  raised  a  portion  of  the  ransom  demanded 
for  the  king,  and  John  returned  to  France  after 
four  years  of  captivity. 

At  the  commencement  of  1363  Edward  the  Black 
Prince  was  named  Prince  of  Aquitaine,  and  that 
province  was  bestowed  upon  him  as  a  gift  by  the 
king,  subject  only  to  liege  homage  and  an  annual 
tribute  of  one  ounce  of  gold.  The  prince  took  with 
him  to  his  new  possessions  many  of  the  knights  and 
nobles  who  had  served  with  him,  and  offered  to 
Walter  a  high  post  in  the  government  of  the  prov- 
ince if  he  would  accompany  him.  This  Walter 
begged  to  be  excused  from  doing.  Two  girls  had 
now  been  added  to  his  family,  and  he  was  unwilling 


Sr.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  367 

to  leave  bis  happy  home  unless  the  needs  of  war 
called  him  to  the  prince's  side.  He  therefore  re- 
mained quietly  at  home. 

When  King  John  returned  to  France,  four  of  the 
French  princes  of  the  blood-royal  had  been  given 
as  hostages  for  the  fulfillment  of  the  treaty  of 
Bretigny.  They  were  permitted  to  reside  at  Calais 
and  were  at  liberty  to  move  about  as  they  would, 
and  even  to  absent  themselvep  from  the  town  for 
three  days  at  a  time  whensoever  they  might  choose. 
The  Duke  of  Anjou,  the  king's  second  son,  basely 
took  advantage  of  this  liberty  to  escape,  in  direct 
violation  of  his  oath.  The  other  hostages  followed 
his  example. 

King  John,  himself  the  soul  of  honor,  was  in- 
tensely mortified  at  this  breach  of  faith  on  the  part 
of  his  sons,  and  after  calling  together  the  States- 
general  at  Amiens  to  obtain  the  subsidies  necessary 
for  paying  the  remaining  portion  of  his  ransom,  he 
himself,  with  a  train  of  two  hundred  officers  and 
their  followers,  crossed  to  England  to  make  excuses 
to  Edward  for  the  treachery  of  the  princes.  Some 
historians  represent  the  visit  as  a  voluntary  return- 
ing into  captivity ;  but  this  was  not  so.  The  Eng- 
lish king  had  accepted  the  hostages  in  his  place  and 
was  responsible  for  their  safe-keeping,  and  had  no 
claim  upon  the  French  monarch  because  they  had 
taken  advantage  of  the  excess  of  confidence  with 
which  they  had  been  treated.  That  the  coming  of 
the  French  king  was  not  in  any  way  regarded  as  a 
return  into  captivity  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he 


368  ST.  GEORGE  FOE  ENGLAND. 

was  before  starting  furnished  by  Edward  with  let- 
ters of  safe-conduct,  by  which,  his  secure  and  unob- 
structed return  to  his  own  country  was  expressly 
stipulated,  and  he  was  received  by  Edward  as  an 
honored  guest  and  friend,  and  his  coming  was  re- 
garded as  an  honor  and  an  occasion  for  festivity  by 
all  England. 

At  the  same  time  that  John  was  in  London  the 
King  of  Cyprus,  the  King  of  Denmark,  and  the 
King  of  Scotland  were  also  there,  and  the  meeting 
of  four  monarchs  in  London  was  the  occasion  of 
extraordinary  festivities  and  rejoicing,  the  king  and 
his  royal  guests  being  several  times  entertained 
at  sumptuous  banquets  by  the  lord  mayor,  the  ex- 
mayor,  Henry  Pickard,  and  several  of  the  aldermen. 

Six  weeks  after  John's  arrival  in  London  he  was 
seized  with  illness  at  the  palace  of  the  Savoy,  and 
died  on  the  8th  of  April,  1364.  The  dauphin, 
Charles,  now  succeeded  him  as  Charles  Y.,  and  the 
war  between  the  houses  of  Navarre  and  Yalois  was 
carried  on  with  greater  fury  than  ever.  The  armies 
of  Navarre  were  commanded  by  the  CaptaldeBuch, 
who  was  a  distant  relation  of  the  king  ;  while  those 
of  Charles  were  headed  by  the  Marechal  de  Bouci- 
cault  and  Bertrand  du  Guesclin,  one  of  the  most 
gallant  of  the  French  knights.  A  great  battle  was 
fought  near  Cocherel.  Contrary  to  the  orders  of 
the  captal,  his  army,  which  consisted  principally  of 
adventurers,  descended  from  the  strong  position  he 
had  chosen,  and  gave  battle  in  the  plain.  They 
were  completely  defeated  and  the  captal  himself 
taken  prisoner. 


BT.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  369 

In  Brittany  John  of  Montford  and  Charles  of 
Blois  had  renewed  their  struggle,  and  King  Charles, 
seeing  the  danger  of  Brittany  falling  into  the  hands 
of  De  Montford,  who  was  a  close  ally  of  England, 
interfered  in  favor  of  Charles  of  Blois,  and  sent  Du 
Guesclin  to  his  assistance. 

This  was  a  breach  of  the  treaty  of  Bretigny,  and 
De  Montford  at  once  sent  to  the  Black  Prince  for 
assistance.  The  prince  did  not  treat  the  conduct 
of  Charles  as  a  breach  of  the  treaty,  and  took  no 
part  himself  in  the  war,  but  permitted  Sir  John 
Chandos,  who  was  a  personal  friend  of  De  Montford, 
to  go  to  his  aid.  De  Montford's  army,  after  the 
arrival  of  Chandos  with  a  force  of  two  hundred 
spears,  amounted  to  but  sixteen  hundred  men-at- 
arms  and  from  eight  hundred  to  nine  hundred 
archers,  while  Charles  of  Blois  had  four  thousand 
men-at-arms  and  a  proportionate  number  of  inf anty. 
De  Montford  tried  to  negotiate.  He  offered  to 
divide  the  dukedom,  and  to  agree  that  in  case  he 
died  childless  it  should  revert  to  the  family  of 
Charles.  Charles,  however,  refused  all  terms,  even 
to  grant  his  adversary's  request  to  put  off  the  battle 
until  the  morrow,  so  as  to  avoid  violating  the  Sab- 
bath ;  and  having  given  orders  that  all  prisoners 
taken  in  the  battle  should  be  hung,  he  advanced 
upon  De  Montford. 

Both  forces  were  divided  in  four  bodies.  The 
first  on  De  Montford's  side  was  commanded  by  Sir 
Eobert  Knolles,  the  second  by  Oliver  de  Clisson, 
the  third  by  Chandos  and  De  Montford,  the  fourth 


,'570  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

by  Sir  Hugh  de  Calverley.  Du  Guesclin  led  the 
front  division  of  Charles'  army,  the  Counts  of 
Auxerre  and  Joigny  the  second,  Charles  himself 
the  third,  and  the  Lords  of  Koye  and  Rieux  the 
reserve.  The  ducal  arms  of  Brittany  were  displayed 
on  both  sides. 

By  slow  degrees  the  two  armies  closed  with  each 
other  in  deadly  strife.  Both  parties  had  dismounted 
and  fought  on  foot  with  lances  shortened  to  five 
feet.  Du  Guesclin  and  his  division  attacked  that  of 
KnoUes.  Auxerre  fell  upon  De  Clisson,  while  the 
divisions  of  the  two  rival  princes  closed  with  each 
other.  After  desperate  fighting  numbers  prevailed. 
De  Montford  was  driven  back,  but  Calverley 
advanced  to  his  aid,  fell  upon  the  rear  of  the 
French,  threw  them  into  disorder,  and  then  having 
rallied  De  Montford's  men,  retired  to  his  former 
position  in  readiness  to  give  succor  again  where  it 
might  be  needed. 

In  the  mean  time  Clisson  had  been  ensraffed  in  a 
desperate  struggle  with  the  Count  of  Auxerre,  but 
was  obtaining  no  advantage.  Clisson  himself  had 
received  the  blow  of  a  battle-ax  which  had  dashed 
in  the  visor  of  his  helmet  and  blinded  forever  one 
of  his  eyes.  He  was  still  leading  his  men,  but  the 
enemies'  superior  numbers  were  pressing  him  back, 
when  Chandos,  the  instant  the  assistance  of  Cal- 
verley had  relieved  De  Montford's  division,  perceiv- 
ing his  danger,  drew  off  a  few  men-at-arms,  and 
with  them  fell  upon  the  rear  of  the  Count  of 
Auxerre,  and  dashing  all  who  opposed  him  to  the 


8T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND,  371 

ground  with  his  battle-ax,  cleft  his  way  to  the  very 
center  of  the  enemy.  Pressed  by  De  Clisson  in 
front  and  broken  by  the  sudden  attack  of  Chandos 
in  the  rear,  the  French  division  gave  way  in  every 
direction.  Auxerre  was  desperately  wounded,  and 
he  and  De  Joigny  both  taken  prisoners. 

Chandos  then  returned  to  De  Montford,  who  had 
gallantly  followed  up  the  advantage  gained  by  the 
confusion  into  which  Charles'  division  had  been 
thrown  by  the  attack  of  Calverley.  Charles  was 
routed,  he  himself  struck  down  and  slain  by  an 
English  soldier,  and  the  division  defeated  with  great 
slaughter.  De  Montford's  whole  force  now  gathered 
round  Du  Guesclin's  division,  which  now  alone  re- 
mained, and  after  fighting  gallantly  until  all  hope 
was  gone,  the  brave  French  knight  and  his  com- 
panions yielded  themselves  as  prisoners. 

The  battle  of  Auray  terminated  the  struggle  be- 
tween the  houses  of  Blois  and  Montford.  More 
than  one  thousand  French  men-at-arms  died  on  the 
field  of  battle,  among  whom  were  many  of  the 
noblest  in  Brittany.  Two  counts,  twenty -seven 
lords,  and  fifteen  hundred  men-at-arms  were  made 
prisoners.  De  Montford  now  took  possession  of 
the  whole  of  Brittany,  and  at  the  suggestion  of 
King  Edward  himself  did  homage  to  Charles  Y.  for 
the  duchy,  which  he  afterward  ruled  with  wisdom. 


372  JST.  GEORGE  FOE  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTEE  XXII. 

VIOtOEY     AND     DEATH. 

While  the  Black  Prince  was  with  difficulty  gov- 
erning his  province  of  Aquitaine,  where  the  mutual 
jealousies  of  the  English  and  native  officers  caused 
continual  difficulties,  King  Edward  turned  all  his 
attention  to  advancing  the  prosperity  of  England. 
He  fostered  trade,  commerce,  and  learning,  was  a 
munificent  patron  of  the  two  universities,  and 
established  such  order  and  regularity  in  his  king- 
dom that  England  was  the  admiration  of  all  Europe. 
Ear  different  was  the  state  of  France.  The  cessation 
of  the  wars  with  England  and  the  subsequent  dis- 
bandment  of  troops  had  thrown  upon  their  own  re- 
sources great  numbers  of  men  who  had  been  so  long 
engaged  in  fighting  that  the}^  had  no  other  trade  to 
turn  to.  The  conclusion  of  the  struggle  in  Brittany 
after  the  battle  of  Auray  and  the  death  of  Charles 
of  Blois  still  further  added  to  the  number,  and 
these  men  gathered  in  bands,  some  of  which  were 
headed  by  men  of  knightly  rank,  and  scattered 
through  France  plundering  the  country  and  extract- 
ing heavy  sums  from  the  towns. 

These  "  great  companies,"  as  they  were  called,  ex- 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  373 

ceeded  fifty  thousand  men  in  number,  and  as  almost 
all  were  trained  soldiers  they  set  the  king  and  his 
nobles  at  defiance,  and  were  virtually  masters  of 
France.  The  most  tempting  offers  were  made  to 
them  to  lay  down  their  arms,  and  the  pope  sent 
legates  threatening  excommunication,  but  the  great 
companies  laughed  alike  at  promises  and  threats. 
At  last  a  way  of  deliverance  opened  to  France. 
Pedro,  named  the  Cruel,  of  Castile,  had  alienated 
his  people  by  his  cruelty,  and  had  defeated  and 
driven  into  exile  his  half-brother,  Henry  of  Trans- 
tamare,  who  headed  an  insurrection  against  him. 
Pedro  put  to  death  numbers  of  the  nobles  of 
Castile,  despoiled  the  King  of  Arragon,  who  had 
given  aid  to  his  brother,  plundered  and  insulted  the 
clergy,  and  allied  himself  with  the  Moors. 

His  quarrel  with  the  clergy  was  the  cause  of  his 
ruin.  The  pope  summoned  him  to  appear  before 
him  at  Avignon  to  answer  to  the  crimes  laid  to  his 
charge.  Pedro  refused  to  attend,  and  the  pope  at 
once  excommunicated  him.  The  King  of  Arragon 
and  Henry  of  Transtamare  were  then  summoned  to 
Avignon,  and  a  treaty  of  alliance  was  concluded  be- 
tween them,  and  the  pope  declared  the  throne  of 
Castile  vacant  owing  to  the  excommunication  of 
Pedro,  and  appointed  Henry  to  it. 

These  measures  would  have  troubled  Pedro  little 
had  it  not  been  that  France  groaned  under  the  great 
companies,  and  the  French  king  and  the  pontiff  at 
once  entered  into  negotiations  with  them  to  support 
Henry   in   his   war  against  his  brother.     It    was 


374  ST.  OEORaE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

necessary  that  a  leader  in  whom  the  companies 
should  have  confidence  should  be  chosen,  and  Du 
Guesclin,  still  a  prisoner  of  Chandos,  who  had  cap- 
tured him  at  Auray,  was  selected,  and  the  pope,  the 
King  of  France,  and  Don  Henr}^  paid  between 
them  the  one  hundred  thousand  francs  demanded 
for  his  ransom.  Du  Guesclin  on  his  release  nego- 
tiated  with  the  leaders  of  the  great  companies,  and 
as  the  pope  and  king  promised  them  large  gratuities 
they  agreed  to  march  upon  Spain.  They  Avere 
joined  by  a  great  number  of  French  knights  and 
men-at-arms. 

The  expedition  was  under  the  nominal  command 
of  John  of  Bourbon,  but  the  real  guidance  was  in 
the  hands  of  Du  Guesclin.  As  the  army  marched 
past  Avignon  they  worked  upon  the  terrors  of  the 
pope  until  he  paid  them  two  hundred  thousand 
francs  in  gold.  France  was  filled  with  jo}^  at  the 
prospect  of  a  riddance  of  the  free  companies  which 
had  so  long  been  a  prey  upon  them.  Thej^  were, 
too,  eager  to  avenge  upon  the  cruel  King  of  Spain 
the  murder  of  his  queen,  who  was  a  princess  of 
France.  The  same  feeling  animated  the  people  of 
Aquitaine,  and  Calverley,  D'Ambrecicourt,  Sir 
Walter  Hewitt,  Sir  John  Devereux,  Sir  John 
Neville,  and  several  other  distinguished  knights, 
with  a  large  train  of  men-at-arms,  joined  the  ad- 
venturers. The  great  army  moved  through  Ar- 
ragon,  whose  king  in  every  way  facilitated  their 
progress.  As  they  entered  Castile  the  whole  people 
declared  in  favor  of  Henry,  and  Pedro,  deserted  by 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  375 

all,  fled  to  Bordeaux  and  besought  aid  from  the 
Prince  of  Wales. 

Between  Pedro  and  the  English  court  a  firm 
alliance  had  existed  from  the  time  when  the  former 
so  nearly  married  the  Princess  Joan,  and  im- 
mediately the  king  heard  of  the  expedition  against 
him  he  issued  orders  that  no  English  knights  should 
take  part  in  it.  The  order,  however,  came  too 
late.  The  English  knights  had  already  marched 
into  Spain  with  Du  Guesclin.  As  for  the  English 
who  formed  no  inconsiderable  portion  of  the  great 
companies,  they  had  already  declined  to  obey  the 
king  when,  at  the  instande  of  the  pope  and  the 
King  of  France,  he  had  ordered  them  to  disband. 

On  Pedro's  arrival  at  Bordeaux  with  his  three 
daughters  and  his  son,  they  were  kindly  received 
by  the  Black  Prince,  courtesy  and  kindness  to  those 
in  misfortune  being  among  the  leading  charac- 
teristics of  his  nature.  Pedro,  cruel  and  ruthless 
as  he  was,  was  a  man  of  great  eloquence  and  in- 
sinuating manners,  and  giving  his  own  version  of 
affairs,  he  completely  won  over  the  prince,  who  felt 
himself,  moreover,  bound  in  some  degree  to  support 
him,  inasmuch  as  he,  an  ally  of  England,  had  been 
dethroned  by  an  army  composed  partly  of  English. 
Pedro  made  the  most  magnificent  promises  to  the 
prince  m  return  for  his  aid,  ceding  him  the  whole 
of  the  province  of  Biscay,  and  agreeing  to  pay  the 
British  troops  engaged  in  his  service  when  he  re- 
gained his  throne,  the  Black  Prince  engaging  to 
pay  them  in  the  mean  time. 


376  >S2:  GEOUGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

King  Edward  aided  his  son  by  raising  an  army  in 
England,  which  sailed  for  Bordeaux  under  the 
command  of  the  prince's  brother,  John  of  Gaunt, 
Duke  of  Lancaster.  Walter  formed  part  of  this 
expedition.  The  king  had  issued  his  writs  to  him 
and  other  barons  of  the  southern  counties,  and  the 
Black  Prince  had  himself  written  to  ask  him  to 
join  him,  in  memory  of  their  former  deeds  of  arms 
together. 

As  it  was  now  some  years  since  he  had  taken  the 
field,  Walter  did  not  hesitate,  but  with  thirty  re- 
tainers, headed  by  Kalph,  joined  the  army  of  John 
of  Gaunt. 

The  Black  Prince's  first  step  was  to  endeavor  to 
recall  the  Englishmen  of  the  free  companies,  es- 
timated to  amount  to  at  least  thirty  thousand 
men.  The  news  that  he  was  taking  up  arms  and 
would  himself  command  the  army  caused  Calverley 
and  the  whole  of  the  other  English  knights  to 
return  at  once,  and  ten  thousand  of  the  English 
men-at-arms  with  the  great  companies  also  left 
Don  Henry  and  marched  to  Aquitaine.  The  road 
led  through  the  territory  of  the  King  of  Navarre, 
and  the  Black  Prince  advanced  fifty-six  thousand 
florins  of  gold  to  pay  this  grasping  and  treacherous 
king  for  the  right  of  passage  of  the  army. 

By  Christmas,  1366,  the  preparations  were  com- 
plete, but  the  severity  of  the  weather  delayed  the 
advance  for  some  weeks.  Fresh  difiiculties  were 
encountered  with  Charles  the  Bad,  of  Navarre,  who, 
having  obtained  the  price  for  the  passage,  had  now 


ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND.  377 

opened  negotiations  with  Don  Henry,  and  the 
governors  of  the  frontier  towns  refused  to  allow  Sir 
Hugh  Calverley  and  the  free  companions,  who 
formed  the  advance,  to  pass.  These  were  not,  how- 
ever, the  men  to  stand  on  ceremony,  and  without 
hesitation  they  attacked  and  captured  the  towns, 
when  the  King  of  Navarre  at  once  apologized  for 
his  officers,  and  renewed  his  engagements.  As, 
however,  the  Black  Prince  had  received  intelligence 
that  he  had  formed  a  plan  for  attacking  the  English 
as  they  passed  through  the  terrible  pass  of  Konces- 
valles,  he  compelled  him  to  accompany  the  army. 
The  invitation  was  couched  in  language  which  was 
friendly,  but  would  yet  admit  of  no  denial. 

On  the  17th  of  February  the  English  army, 
thirty  thousand  strong,  reached  the  pass.  It 
marched  in  three  divisions,  the  first  commanded  by 
the  Duke  of  Lancaster  and  Lord  Chandos,  the 
second  by  the  Black  Prince,  the  third  by  the  King 
of  Majorca  and  the  Count  of  Armagnac.  The 
divisions  crossed  over  on  different  days,  for  the  pass 
was  encumbered  by  snow  and  the  obstacles  were 
immense.  Upon  the  day  when  the  prince's  division 
were  passing  a  storm  burst  upon  them,  and  it  was 
with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  they  succeeded  in 
crossing.  On  the  20th  of  February,  however,  all 
arrived  safe  on  the  other  side  of  the  Pyrenees.  Du 
Guesclin,  who,  seeing  the  storm  which  was  ap- 
proaching from  Aquitaine,  had  returned  to  France 
and  levied  a  French  army,  was  nigh  at  hand,  and 
kept  within  a  few  miles  of  the  English  army  as  it 


378  ST.  GEORGE  FOB  ENGLAND. 

advanced,  avoiding  an  engagement  until  the  arrival 
of  Don  Henry,  who  was  marching  to  join  him  with 
the  great  companies  and  sixty  thousand  Spanish 
troops. 

Du  Guesclin  kept  up  secret  communications  with 
the  King  of  I^avarre,  who  was  still  forced  to  ac- 
company the  English  army.  The  latter  accordingly 
went  out  from  the  camp  under  pretense  of  hunting 
and  was  captured  by  a  detachment  of  French 
troops. 

On  the  1st  of  April,  the  Spanish  army  having 
joined  the  French,  the  Black  Prince  sent  letters  to 
Don  Henry,  urging  him  in  mild  but  dignified 
language  to  return  to  obedience,  and  to  resign  the 
throne  he  had  usurped,  offering  at  the  same  time 
to  act  as  mediator  between  him  and  his  brother,  and 
to  do  all  in  his  power  to  remove  differences  and 
abuses.  Henry,  confident  in  his  strength,  replied 
haughtily  and  prepared  for  battle. 

The  forces  were  extremely  unequal.  The  Black 
Prince  had  under  him  thirty  thousand  men  ;  while 
under  Don  Henry  were  three  thousand  men-at- 
arms  on  mail-clad  horses,  twenty  thousand  men- 
at-arms  on  horses  not  so  protected,  six  thousand 
light  cavalry,  ten  thousand  cross-bowmen,  and  sixty 
thousand  foot  armed  with  spear  and  sword. 

The  night  before  the  battle  the  Black  Prince 
lodged  in  the  little  village  of  I^avarretta,  which  had 
been  deserted  by  its  inhabitants.  Walter  had  been 
his  close  companion  since  he  started,  and  occupied 
the  same  lodging  with  him  in  the  village* 


ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  379 

"  This  reminds  me,"  the  prince  said,  "  of  the  day 
before  Cressy.  They  outnumber  us  by  more  than 
three  to  one." 

"  There  were  greater  odds  still,"  Walter  replied, 
"  at  Poitiers,  and  I  doubt  not  that  we  shall  make  as 
good  an  example  of  them." 

"  They  are  more  doughty  adversaries,"  the  prince 
replied.  "  There  are  nigh  twenty  thousand  English 
in  their  ranks — all  veterans  in  war — and  they  are 
led  by  Du  Guesclin,  who  is  a  host  in  himself." 

"  Their  very  numbers  will  be  a  hindrance  to 
them,"  Walter  replied  cheerfully  ;  '*  and  never  did  I 
see  a  better  army  than  that  which  you  have  under 
you.  I  would  we  were  fighting  for  a  better  man, 
for  Don  Pedro  is  to  my  mind  treacherous  as  well  as 
cruel.  He  promises  fairly,  but  I  doubt  if  when  he 
has  gained  his  end  he  will  keep  his  promises.  He 
speaks  fairly  and  smoothly,  but  his  deeds  are  at 
variance  with  his  words." 

^'  It  may  be,  my  lord,"  the  prince  replied,  "  that  I 
am  somewhat  of  your  opinion,  and  that  I  regret  I  so 
quickly  committed  myself  to  his  cruse.  However, 
he  was  my  father's  ally,  and  having  fulfilled  all  his 
engagements  had  a  right  to  demand  our  assistance. 
I  am  a  bad  hand,  Walter,  at  saying  no  to  those  who 
beseech  me." 

"It  is  so,  Sir  Prince,"  Walter  said  bluntly. 
"  Would  that  your  heart  had  been  a  less  generous 
one,  for  your  nobleness  of  disposition  is  ever  in- 
volving you  in  debts  which  hamper  you  sorely,  and 
cause  more  trouble  to  you  than  all  your  enemies  I" 


380  ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

"That  is  true  enough,"  the  Black  Prince  said 
with  a  sigh.  "  Since  I  was  a  boy  I  have  ever  been 
harassed  with  creditors  ;  and  though  all  Aquitaine 
is  mine,  I  verily  believe  that  there  is  not  a  man  in 
my  father's  dominions  who  is  so  harassed  and 
straitened  for  money  as  I." 

"  And  yet,"  Walter  said,  smiling,  "  no  sooner  do 
you  get  it  than  you  give  it  away." 

"  Ah  !"  the  prince  laughed,  "  I  cannot  deny  it.  It 
is  so  much  pleasanter  to  give  than  to  pay  that  I 
can  never  find  heart  to  balk  myself.  I  am  ever 
surrounded  by  suitors.  Some  have  lost  estates  in 
my  cause,  others  have  rendered  brilliant  services  in 
the  field,  some  have  burdened  themselves  with 
debts  to  put  their  retainers  in  arms — all  have  pleas 
to  urge,  and  for  the  Jife  of  me  I  cannot  say  them 
nay.  I  trust,  though,"  he  added  more  seriously, 
"that  Don  Pedro  will  fulfill  his  promises  to  pay  my 
army.  I  have  bound  myself  to  my  soldiers  for 
their  w^ages,  besides  advancing  large  sums  to  Pedro, 
and  if  he  keeps  not  his  engagements  I  shall  indeed 
be  in  a  sore  strait." 

"  There  is  one  thing,"  Walter  said  ;  "  if  he  fail  to 
keep  his  promises,  we  will  not  fail  to  oblige  him  to 
do  so.  If  we  win  a  kingdom  for  him,  we  can  snatch 
it  from  him  again." 

"  We  have  not  won  it  yet,"  the  prince  said. 

"  We  wilt  do  so  to-morrow,"  Walter  rejoined  con- 
fidently. "  I  hope  the  fortunes  of  the  day  may 
bring  me  face  to  face  with  Du  Guesclin.  I  am 
thrice  as  strong  as  when  I  fought  at  Cressy,  and  I 


8T.  OEORQJS  FOR  ENGLAND,  381 

should  like  to  try  my  hand  against  this  doughty 
champion." 

The  next  morning  the  two  armies  prepared  for 
battle,  the  Black  Prince  dividing  his  army  as  be- 
fore. The  divisions  were  commanded  as  in  the 
passage  of  the  Pyrenees,  and  each  numbered  ten 
thousand  men. 

Don  Henry  had  also  divided  his  force  in  three 
parts.  In  the  first  division,  commanded  by  Du 
Guesclin,  were  four  thousand  veteran  French 
knights  and  men-at-arms  with  eight  thousand  foot 
soldiers ;  the  second  was  led  by  the  prince's  brother, 
Don  Tillo,  with  sixteen  thousand  horse  ;  while  he 
himself  commanded  the  third,  in  which  were  a 
multitude  of  soldiers,  making  up  the  gross  total  of 
one  hundred  thousand  men. 

As  on  the  night  preceding  the  battle  of  Poitiers, 
the  English  army  had  lain  down  supperless.  Soon 
after  midnight  the  trumpets  sounded,  and  the  troops 
soon  moved  forward.  At  sunrise  the  prince  and  his 
forces  reached  the  summit  of  a  little  hill,  whence 
was  visible  the  approaching  host  of  Spain.  The  first 
division,  under  the  Duke  of  Lancaster  and  Lord 
Chandos,  immediately  quickened  its  pace  and 
charged  the  division  of  Du  Guesclin,  which  re- 
ceived it  with  great  steadiness,  and  a  desperate  con- 
flict ensued.  The  Black  Prince  charged  the  division 
of  Don  Tillo,  which  gave  way  at  the  first  attack, 
and  its  commander,  with  two  thousand  horse,  at 
once  fled.  The  remainder  of  the  division  resisted 
for  some  time,  but  was  unable   to  withstand  the 


382  ST,  OEOROE  FOR  ENGLAND, 

steady  advance  of  the  English,  who  without  much 
difficulty  dispersed  and  scattered  it  from  the  field. 
The  King  of  Majorca  now  joined  his  division  with 
that  of  the  Black  Prince,  and  the  two  advanced 
against  the  great  division  led  by  Don  Henry. 

The  Spanish  slingers  opened  upon  the  advancing 
force  and  for  a  time  annoyed  them  greatl}^  but 
when  the  English  archers  arrived  within  bow-shot 
and  opened  fire  they  speedily  dispersed  the  slingers, 
and  the  men-at-arms  on  both  sides  advanced  to  the 
attack.  The  conflict  was  long  and  desperate,  and 
both  sides  fought  with  great  gallantry  and  deter- 
mination. Don  Pedro — who,  although  vicious  and 
cruel,  was  brave—fought  in  the  ranks  as  a  common 
soldier,  frequently  cutting  his  way  into  the  midst  of 
the  Spaniards,  and  shouting  to  Don  Henry  to  cross 
swords  with  him.  Henry  on  his  part  fought  with 
great  valor,  although,  as  he  had  the  burden  of  com- 
mand upon  him,  he  was  less  able  to  distinguish  him- 
self by  acts  of  personal  prowess.  Though  fighting 
in  the  thickest  of  the  press,  he  never  lost  his  grasp 
of  the  general  purpose  of  the  battle.  Three  times, 
when  his  troops  wavered  before  the  assaults  of  the 
Black  Prince  and  his  knights,  he  rallied  them  and 
renewed  the  fight. 

"While  this  battle  was  raging,  a  not  less  obstinate 
fight  was  proceeding  between  the  divisions  of  Lan- 
caster and  Du  Guesclin.  For  a  long  time  victory 
was  doubtful,  and  indeed  inclined  toward  the  side 
of  the  French.  The  ranks  of  both  parties  were 
broken,  and  all  were  fighting  in  a  confused  mass, 


8T.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  383 

when,  in  the  midst  of  the  meUe^  a  body  of  French 
and  Spaniards  poured  in  upon  the  banner  of 
Chandos.  He  was  struck  to  the  ground,  and  a 
gigantic  Castilian  knight  flung  himself  upon  him 
and  strove  to  slay  him  as  he  held  him  down. 
Chandos  had  lost  sword  and  battle-ax,  but  draw- 
ing his  dagger,  he  held  with  one  hand  his  opponent's 
sword-arm,  and  at  last,  after  repeated  strokes  with 
his  dagger,  he  found  an  undefended  part  of  his 
armor  and  pierced  him  with  his  dagger  to  the  hilt. 
The  Spaniard  relaxed  his  hold,  and  Chandos, 
throwing  him  ofi",  struggled  to  his  feet  and  rejoined 
his  friends,  who  had  thought  him  dead.  They  now 
fought  with  more  enthusiasm  than  ever,  and  at  last, 
driving  back  the  main  body  of  the  French  knights, 
isolated  a  body  of  some  sixty  strong,  and  forced 
them  to  surrender.  Among  these  were  Du  Guesclin 
himself,  the  Marshal  d'Audenham,  and  the  Bigue 
de  Yilaines. 

As  these  were  the  leaders  of  the  division,  the 
main  body  lost  spirit  and  fought  feebly,  and  were 
soon  completely  routed  by  Lancaster  and  Chandos. 
These  now  turned  their  attention  to  the  other  part 
of  the  field,  where  the  battle  was  still  raging,  and 
charged  down  upon  the  flank  of  Don  Henry's  army, 
which  was  already  wavering.  The  Spaniards  gave 
way  at  once  on  every  side,  and  ere  long  the  whole 
were  scattered  in  headlong  rout,  hotly  pursued  by 
the  English.  The  greater  portion  fled  toward  the 
town  of  Najarra,  where  they  had  slept  the  previous 
night,  and  here  vast  quantities  were  slaughtered  by 


384  ST.  OEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

the  English  and  Gascons.  A  number  of  prisoners 
were  taken  and  the  palace  and  town  sacked.  The 
pursuit  was  kept  up  the  whole  day,  and  it  was  not 
until  evening  that  the  leaders  began  once  more  to 
assemble  round  the  banner  of  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
Among  the  last  who  arrived  was  Don  Pedro  himself. 
Springing  from  his  charger  he  grasped  the  hand  of 
the  Prince  of  Wales,  thanking  him  for  his  victory, 
which  he  felt  would  restore  him  to  his  throne. 

"  Give  thanks  and  praise  to  God,  and  not  to  me," 
the  prince  replied,  "  for  from  him,  and  not  from  me, 
you  have  received  victory." 

About  eight  thousand  men  fell  in  the  battle,  the 
loss  of  the  English,  French,  and  Spaniards  being 
nearly  equal ;  but  many  thousands  of  the  latter  fell 
in  the  pursuit,  and  as  many  more  were  drowned  in 
endeavoring  to  cross  the  river  Ebro.  Don  Henry 
escaped  after  fighting  till  the  last,  and  reaching  the 
French  territory  in  safety  took  refuge  in  the  papal 
court  of  Avignon. 

Upon  the  morning  after  the  battle  Don  Pedro  re- 
quested the  Black  Prince  to  give  him  up  all  the 
Castilian  prisoners,  in  order  that  he  might  put  them 
to  death.  The  prince,  however,  was  alwaj^s  opposed 
to  cruelty,  and  asked  and  obtained  as  a  boon  to 
himself  that  the  lives  of  all  the  Spanish  prisoners, 
with  the  exception  of  one  whose  conduct  had  been 
marked  with  peculiar  treachery,  should  be  spared, 
and  even  induced  Pedro  to  pardon  them  altogether 
on  their  swearing  fealty  to  him.  Even  Don  Sancho, 
Pedro's  brother,  who  had  fought  at  l^ajarra  under 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  385 

Don  Henry,  was  received  and  embraced  by  Pedro 
at  the  request  of  the  Prince  of  Wales.  The  city  of 
Burgos  at  once  opened  its  gates,  and  the  rest  of  the 
country  followed  its  example,  and  resumed  its 
allegiance  to  Pedro,  who  remounted  his  throne 
without  further  resistance. 

As  Walter  had  fought  by  the  side  of  the  Black 
Prince  his  desire  to  cross  swords  with  Du  Guesclin 
was  not  satisfied ;  but  his  valor  during  the  day  won 
for  him  the  warm  approbation  of  the  prince.  Op- 
posed to  them  were  many  of  the  great  companies, 
and  these  men,  all  experienced  soldiers  and  many  of 
them  Englishmen,  had  fought  with  great  stubborn- 
ness. Wal  ter  had  singled  out  for  attack  a  banner  bear- 
ing the  cognizance  of  a  raven.  The  leader  of  this 
band,  who  was  known  as  the  Knight  of  the  Raven, 
had  won  for  himself  a  specially  evil  notoriety  in 
France  by  the  ferocity  of  his  conduct.  Wherever 
his  band  went  they  had  swept  the  country,  and  the 
most  atrocious  tortures  had  been  inflicted  on  all 
well-to-do  persons  who  had  fallen  into  their  hands, 
to  extract  from  them  the  secret  of  buried  hoards  or 
bonds,  entailing  upon  them  the  loss  of  their  last 
penny. 

The  Knight  of  the  Raven  himself  was  said  to  be 
as  brave  as  he  was  cruel,  and  several  nobles  who 
had  attempted  to  oppose  his  band  had  been  defeated 
and  slain  by  him.  He  was  known  to  be  English, 
but  his  name  was  a  mystery  ;  and  the  Black  Prince 
and  his  knights  had  long  wished  to  encounter  a 
man  who  was  a  disgrace  alike  to  chivalry  and  the 


386  ST.  GEOB&E  FOR  ENGLAND. 

English  name.  "When,  therefore,  Walter  saw  his 
banner  in  the  king's  division  he  urged  his  horse  to- 
ward it,  and,  followed  by  Ealph  and  some  thirty 
men-at-arms,  hewed  his  way  through  the  crowd 
until  he  was  close  to  the  banner. 

A  knight  in  gray  armor  spurred  forward  to  meet 
him,  and  a  desperate  conflict  ^  took  place.  Never 
had  Walter  crossed  swords  with  a  stouter  adver- 
sary, and  his  opponent  fought  with  as  much  vehe- 
mence and  fury  as  if  the  sight  of  Walter's  banner, 
which  Kalph  carried  behind  him,  had  aroused  in 
him  a  frenzy  of  rage  and  hate.  In  guarding  his 
head  from  one  of  his  opponent's  sweeping  blows 
Walter's  sword  shivered  at  the  hilt ;  but  before  the 
Gray  Knight  could  repeat  the  blow  Walter  snatched 
his  heavy  battle-ax  from  his  saddle.  The  knight 
reined  back  his  horse  for  an  instant  and  imitated 
his  example,  and  with  these  heavy  weapons  the 
fight  was  renewed.  The  Knight  of  the  Eaven  had 
lost  by  the  change,  for  Walter's  great  strength 
stood  him  in  good  stead,  and  presently  with  a  tre- 
mendous blow  he  beat  down  his  opponent's  ax  and 
cleft  through  his  helmet  almost  to  the  chin. 

The  knight  fell  dead  from  his '  horse,  and  Walter, 
with  his  band,  pressing  on,  carried  confusion  into 
the  ranks  of  his  followers.  When  these  had  been 
defeated  Walter  rode  back  with  Ealph  to  the  spot 
where  the  Knight  of  the  Eaven  had  fallen. 

"  Take  off  his  helmet,  Ealph.  Let  me  see  his 
face.  Methinks  I  recognized  his  voice,  and  he 
fouffht  as  if  he  knew  and  hated  me." 


ST.  OBORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  387 

Ealph  removed  the  helmet. 

**  It  is  as  I  thought,"  Walter  said  ;  "  it  is  Sir 
James  Carnegie,  a  recreant  and  villain  knight  and 
foul  enemy  of  mine,  a  disgrace  to  his  name  and 
rank,  but  a  brave  man.  So  long  as  he  lived  I  could 
never  say  that  my  life  was  safe  from  his  machina- 
tions. Thank  God,  there  is  an  end  of  him  and  his 
evil  doings !" 

Walter  was  twice  wounded  in  the  fight,  but  upon 
neither  occasion  seriously,  and  he  was  soon  able  to 
take  part  in  the  tournaments  and  games  which  the 
Prince  of  Wales  instituted  partly  to  keep  his  men 
employed,  partly  for  the  amusement  of  the  citizens  of 
Burgos,  outside  whose  walls  his  army  lay  encamped. 

The  prince  was  now  obliged  to  remind  the  king 
of  his  promise  to  pay  his  troops  ;  but  nothing  was 
further  from  the  mind  of  the  treacherous  monarch 
than  to  carry  out  the  promises  which  he  had  made 
in  exile.  He  dared  not,  however,  openly  avow  his 
intentions,  but  trusting  to  the  chapter  of  accidents, 
he  told  the  prince  that  at  Burgos  he  could  not  col- 
lect a  sufficient  sum  ;  but  if  the  army  would  march 
into  Leon  and  take  up  their  quarters  near  Yalla- 
dolid,  he  himself  would  proceed  to  Seville,  and 
would  as  soon  as  possible  collect  the  money  which 
he  had  bound  himself  to  furnish.  The  plan  was 
adopted.  Edward  marched  his  troops  to  Yalladolid, 
and  Don  Pedro  went  to  Seville. 

Some  time  passed  on  without  the  arrival  of  the 
promised  money,  and  the  prince  was  impatient  to 
return  to  Aquitaine.     Don  Henry  had  gathered  a 


388  ST.  OEORQE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

force  in  France,  secretly  assisted  by  the  French 
king,  and  had  made  an  inroad  into  Aquitaine,  where 
he  obtained  several  successes,  and  was  joined  by 
many  of  the  disinterested  nobles- of  that  province. 

"  You  were  right,"  the  prince  said  to  Walter  one 
day ;  "  this  treacherous  king,  who  owes  his  king- 
dom to  us,  intends  to  break  his  plighted  word.  I 
know  not  what  to  do ;  my  men  are  clamorous  for 
their  pay,  and  I  am  unable  to  satisfy  them.  Don 
Pedro  still  sends  fair  promises,  and  although  I  be- 
lieve in  my  heart  that  he  has  no  intention  of  keep- 
ing them,  yet  I  can  hardly  march  against  him  as 
an  enemy,  for,  however  far  from  the  truth  it  may 
be,  his  pretext  that  the  treasury  has  been  emptied 
by  his  brother,  and  that  in  the  disturbed  state  of 
the  kingdom  no  money  can  be  obtained,  may  yet 
be  urged  as  valid." 

Scarcely  had  the  army  encamped  before  Yal- 
ladolid  ^vhen  a  terrible  pestilence  attacked  the 
army.  For  a  while  all  questions  of  pay  were  for- 
gotten, and  consternation  and  dismay  seized  the 
troops.  Neither  rank  nor  station  was  of  avail,  and 
the  leaders  suffered  as  severely  as  the  men.  Every 
day  immense  numbers  died,  and  so  sudden  were  the 
attacks,  and  so  grea^  the  mortality,  that  the  soldiers 
believed  that  Don  Pedro  had  poisoned  the  wells  in 
order  to  rid  himself  of  the  necessity  of  fulfilling 
his  obligations. 

The  Black  Prince  himself  was  prostrated  and  lay 
for  some  time  between  life  and  death.  A  splendid 
constitution  enabled  him  to  pull  through,  but  he 


ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND.  389 

arose  from  his  bed  enfeebled  aad  shattered,  and 
although  for  some  years  he  lived  on,  he  received 
his  death-blow  at  Yalladolid.  His  personal  strength 
never  came  to  him  again,  and  even  his  mind  was 
dulled  and  the  brightness  of  his  intellect  dimmed 
from  the  effects  of  the  fever.  When  he  recovered 
suflBciently  to  inquire  into  the  state  of  his  forces, 
he  was  filled  with  sorrow  and  dismay.  Four-fifths 
of  the  number  were  either  dead  or  so  weakened  as 
to  be  useless  for  service  again.  The  prince  wrote 
urgently  to  Don  Pedro  for  the  money  due ;  but  the 
king  knew  that  the  English  were  powerless  now, 
and  replied  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  collect  the 
money,  but  would  forward  it  to  Aquitaine,  if  the 
prince  would  return  there  with  his  army.  Edward 
knew  that  he  lied,  but  with  only  six  thousand  or 
seven  thousand  men,  many  of  whom  were  enfeebled 
by  disease,  he  was  not  in  a  position  to  force  the 
claim,  or  to  punish  the  base  and  ungrateful  king. 
Again,  therefore,  he  turned  his  face  north. 

Charles  of  l^avarre  had  now  allied  himself  with 
Don  Henry,  and  refused  to  allow  the  remnants  of 
the  army  to  pass  through  his  dominions,  although 
he  granted  permission  to  the  prince  himself  and  his 
personal  attendants  and  friends.  The  southern 
route  was  barred  by  the  King  of  Arragon,  also  an 
ally  of  Don  Henry ;  but  with  him  the  prince  w^as 
more  successful.  He  had  a  personal  interview  with 
the  monarch,  and  so  influenced  him  that  he  not 
only  obtained  permission  for  his  troops  to  pass 
through  his  dominions,  but  detached  him  from  his 


390  ST,  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND. 

alliance  with    Don   Henry   and    induced    him  to 
enter  into  a  friendly  treaty  witti  Pedro. 

A  greater  act  of  magnanimity  was  never  per- 
formed. In  spite  of  the  base  ingratitude  with 
which  he  had  been  treated,  and  the  breach  of  faith 
which  saddled  him  with  enormous  liabilities  and 
debts,  which  weighed  him  down  and  imbittered 
the  rest  of  his  life,  Edward  remained  faithful  to 
the  cause  of  his  father's  ally,  and  did  his  best  to 
maintain  him  in  the  position  which  English  valor 
had  won  for  him.  He  himself  with  a  few  com- 
panions passed  through  Navarre,  and  arrived  safely 
in  Bordeaux,  where  his  wife  awaited  him,  and 
where  he  was  received  with  rejoicings  and  festiv- 
ities in  honor  of  his  glorious  campaign  in  Spain. 

His  health  was  now  irreparably  injured.  Troubles 
came  thick  upon  him  in  Aquitaine,  and  he  had  no 
longer  the  energy  to  repress  them.  Risings  took 
place  in  all  directions,  and  the  King  of  France 
renewed  the  war.  In  addition  to  his  own  troubles 
from  the  debts  he  had  incurred  and  the  enemies 
who  rose  against  him,  he  was  further  shaken  by 
the  death  of  his  mother  Philippa,  whom  he  tenderly 
loved.  His  friend  Chandos,  too,  was  killed  in  a 
skirmish.  Unhappily,  while  thus  weakened  in 
mind  and  body  the  treachery  of  the  bishop  and 
people  of  Limoges,  who,  having  bound  themselves 
by  innumerable  promises  to  him,  surrendered  their 
city  to  the  French,  caused  him  to  commit  the  one 
act  of  cruelty  which  sullied  the  brightness  of  an 
otherwise  unspotted  career,  for  at  the  recapture  of 
the  town  he  bade  his  soldiers  give  no  quarter. 


ST.  GEORGE  FOR  ENGLAND:  391 

This  act,  although  common  enough  at  the  time, 
is  so  opposed  to  the  principles  of  mercy  and  humanity 
which  throughout  all  the  previous  acts  of  his  life 
distinguished  the  conduct  of  the  Black  Prince  that 
it  cannot  be  doubted  that  his  brain  was  affected  by 
the  illness  which  was  fast  hurrying  him  to  the 
grave.  Shortly  afterward  he  returned  to  England 
and  busied  himself  in  arranging  the  affairs  of  the 
kingdom,  which  his  father's  failing  health  had  per 
mitted  to  fall  into  disorder.  For  the  remaining 
four  years  of  life  he  lived  in  seclusion,  and  sank  on 
the  8th  of  June,  1376. 

Walter,  Lord  Somers,  returned  home  after  the 
conclusion  of  the  campaign  in  Spain,  and  rode  no 
more  to  the  wars. 

Giles  Fletcher  and  his  wife  had  died  some  years 
before,  but  the  good  citizen  Geoffrey  the  armorer, 
when  he  grew  into  years,  abandoned  his  calling 
and  took  up  his  abode  at  Westerham  Castle  to  the 
time  of  his  death. 

In  the  wars  which  afterward  occurred  with 
France,  Walter  was  represented  in  the  field  by  his 
sons,  who  well  sustained  the  high  reputation  which 
their  father  had  borne  as  a  good  and  valiant  knight. 
He  and  his  wife  lived  to  a  green  old  age,  reverenced 
and  beloved  by  their  tenants  and  retainers,  and  died 
surrounded  by  their  descendants  to  the  fourth 
generation. 

THE  BHD. 


